Red shoes

by Carmel Bird

Dustjacket synopsis:
"The beautiful, charismatic Petra Penfold-Knight, accustomed to her own way from birth, grows up to lead a religious cult whose devotess wear red shoes. The cult attracts members through Petra's magnetism, as well as by more sinister means, such as stealing children born to unmarried girls.

"Imbued with ancient narrative myths, music and dance, Red Shoes is told by Petra's guardian angel, who has a unique slant on the nature of reality and on the darker side of female sexuality. The angel's perception is subversive, playful and sublimely witty, and illuminates Petra's surface allure, which disguises a complex yet brutal personality and a moral vacuum."

Genres: Australia, Fiction

333 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Caitlin]

Okay, so I read this quite a while ago, and just saw there were no reviews of this, so I thought I'd kick off a bit of enthusiasm for this book, because it's a quiet little achiever.

I actually looked it up again because I'm currently reading, "Foxlowe" by Eleanor Wasserberg and it reminded me of "Red Shoes" - more importantly, it reminded me of "The Family", the real-life Australian commune-cum-cult that "Red Shoes" was loosely based on.

So this story combines a seeming description of a charismatic cult leader and her followers with the myth of the red shoes, with the "new" (this was released in 1998) concept of having the story narrated by the guardian angel of a girl born into the cult and adopted by its leader. And anyone who knows the story of the red shoes, or anything about how things normally go for cults, I think you can guess it's not going to turn out well.

I would like to maybe re-read it - given time I might have less warm feelings towards it, but Bird has always been consistently great as a wordsmith, so regardless of the fascinating story, her actual writing is very beautiful stuff to behold.

Bird also wrote, "Cape Grimm" which was also based on a cult-like group (but I think it's more a companion novel rather than a sequel/prequel) however I felt this one was easier to read and penetrate the meaning.

I've seen a few people DNF "Foxlowe" - so maybe if you were interested in "cult life from a child's perspective" but maybe need a slightly different mark, give this a try.

[George]

3.5 stars. An original, interestingly written somewhat gothic type of novel. A religious cult is established at Ararat, Victoria. It is run by Petra Penfold-Knight, an unmarried charismatic leader. In the early 1960s Petra became a kindergarten teacher. When Dr Irving V. Clay met Petra, he thought she was the perfect fit for his idea of establishing a kind of convent composed of new born baby girls placed in the care of one woman who had a group of servant women. With his Old boy network of legal and medical men, Irving was able to arrange for babies to be found, acquired and bought, convolute with forged papers, to the fortified house called New Haven. Men were employed to work the small farm. From here the story grows darker to the women employed required to have sex with Irving and the male employees. The aim being to produce baby girls. Petra provides the spiritual guidance, not partaking in the sexual practices of the cult.

The story is narrates by Petra’s guardian angel who illuminates Petra’s surface allure, which disguises a complex yet brutal personality and a moral vacuum.

This book was short listed for the 1999 Miles Franklin Award.

[Mel]

"It would happen more or less by stealth, until it became the norm, and then the rule."

Which is, in fact, how most cults and rule-by-charisma-fascism come to be.

Not realising how extensive the footnote section is starting on page 233 of a 328 page book) was quite excellent, because you don't see how Petra's story will go on, and then you realise it simply, ignominiously, ends.

Which is, in fact, how most cult and rule-by-charisma leaders actually die.

[Toby]

if i had the energy to fully get into it i would get it alot more. felt a bit like a club i wasn't intelligent enough for but that was mostly on my part. liked the ending bit though

[Carolyn]

I read this a very long time ago, and remembered it after reading Carmel Bird's latest, Family Skeleton. I don't recall much about it except that it was also quirky, with an unusual narrative slant and showed a penetrating gaze into human behaviour.

I should seek out some other 'Birds'.