Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “Someone Else’s Shoes” by Jojo Moyes.
Every time I walk into a bookstore, there are basically four authors I always zero in on: Kate Quinn, Kristin Hannah, Jodi Picoult and Jojo Moyes. They each occupy a different niche in my brain, and for our first week of the new semester, we’ll tackle one of my most recent favorite books: “Someone Else’s Shoes” by Jojo Moyes.
In a nutshell, this book is a story of two women who could not be more different. Sam is probably the epitome of relatable: working at an average printing company, struggling with finances and juggling a complicated family dynamic. Nisha lives in a 5-star hotel penthouse, is married to probably the richest man in the country and never steps outside without a full designer outfit.
And yet, when a mix-up causes the two women’s paths to cross, we begin to witness arguably the most iconic, unpredictable friendship ever seen. From impersonating a nonexistent cat charity to coincidentally receiving an incriminating sex tape to illegally setting off the hotel’s fire alarm, this story somehow has the ability to weave together the most absurd plot twists with the most down-to-earth, genuine characters.
Jojo Moyes manages to create the most ridiculous, yet relatable, yet unbelievable story for us to witness. Despite the fact that I know there’s probably no way anything that happens in this book could happen to me, I nonetheless picture myself walking alongside these characters, empathizing with their struggles and celebrating their achievements.
But that’s enough gushing about the plot, let's talk about some of those life lessons that make me love reading Moyes’ books.
One: Don’t lose faith. Sam goes through a hard patch with her husband, gets verbally assaulted at work constantly by her boss and struggles to continue supporting her best friend who is undergoing cancer treatment. Nisha completely loses control of everything in her life due to her abusive husband and ends up without a single penny to spend or a single person to contact. But neither give up, continuing to find beauty in unexpected corners of their life. Whether it be blackmailing a mistress or accidentally discovering your husband has been engaging in illegal diamond smuggling, you really never know what might make your day.
Two: It’s the people who stick around when you’re at your lowest who really matter. When Nisha quite literally finds herself homeless, phoneless and penniless, she realizes how emotionally manipulative the people in her life had been and how unfulfilled she had felt. And yet, it is here where she meets Jasmine — an overall iconic woman really — who befriends her, gets her a job and gives her a place to crash. Similarly, Sam and her best friend Andrea never fail to be there for each other, cheering on the successes and commiserating the failures together, no matter how big or small.
Lastly, I just needed an excuse to hold space for Aleks. Because really, how does Moyes continue to one-up herself with reliable, sweet men with zero main-character energy?
*space being held*
Anyway, the bottom line is that this book completely captures how absurd, hilarious and amazing it can be living as a woman in this crazy world.
