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Meet Ruth Hogan ... I was born in the house where my parents still live in Bedford. My sister was so pleased to have a sibling that she threw a thrupenny bit at me. As a child I read everything I could lay my hands on. Luckily, my mum worked in a bookshop. My favourite reads were The Moomintrolls, A Hundred Million Francs, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and the back of cereal packets, and gravestones. I passed enough A levels to get a place at Goldsmiths College, University of London, to study English and Drama. It was brilliant and I loved it. And then I got a proper job. I worked for ten years in a senior local government position: a square peg in round hole, but it paid the bills and mortgage.
In my early thirties I had a car accident which left me unable to work full-time and convinced me to start writing seriously. It was all going well, but then in 2012 I got Cancer, which was bloody inconvenient but precipitated an exciting hair journey from bald to a peroxide blonde Annie Lennox crop. When chemo kept me up all night I passed the time writing and the eventual result was The Keeper Of Lost Things.
I live in a chaotic Victorian house with an assortment of rescue dogs and my long-suffering partner. I am a magpie; always collecting treasures (or 'junk' depending on your point of view) and a huge John Betjeman fan. My favourite word is' antimacassar' and I still like reading gravestones. See Ruth Hogan on instagram.
Author photo © Harpur Studios
From the bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things, Ruth Hogan, comes another irresistible novel of unexpected friendships, second chances ... and dark secrets. Gloriously gorgeous in every way. After tragedy crashed into her life, Masha often sits on the bottom of the pool at the local lido, unable to look forward, to join in. Sally Red Shoes and Kitty Muriel nudge Masha’s awareness, and life begins to look interesting again. I absolutely adored ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’ which was one of my books of the year 2017, so looked forward with relish to Ruth Hogan’s next offering. ‘The Particular Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes’ is just as special, and cements this particular author as one of my firm favourites. Ruth Hogan has the very special ability to look beyond the veil of unremarkable to find a sometimes painful, yet beautifully quirky existence. Each character (and I include the dogs in this), is fully realised and absolutely essential to the storyline. Kitty and Sally are so stuffed full of life I found myself wanting them in my life too. Words such as enchanting, captivating, and charming are spilling out of my mind, yet this is not a sickly sweet tale, also added to the mix are poignant, emotional, heart-ache…and I both laughed and cried, sometimes at the same time. Quite simply, ‘The Particular Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes’ is a must-read, and I adored every single second of it. Explore our '80+ Books That Deliver a Hug' listicle for more feel-good or uplifting books.
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Oh my, this is totally and completely gorgeous, in fact, an absolute treasure! An author leaves all his worldly possessions, and a hoard of lost lonely items, to his assistant Laura, can Laura reunite the lost things with their owners? Ruth Hogan writes with a beautiful lyrical whimsy, yet sharp edges and biting realism ensure this is a stunning, thought-provoking read. Each lost thing mentioned comes with an explanation, not the whole tale, instead snippets of information and emotions float free, helping you to feel the story. Each character, each lost thing, is imbued with love and sincerity, they become known, loved, and I cared about their wellbeing, their happiness. Links and connections create a chain reaction, ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’ is more, much more than a relationship tale, it is a discovery of enchantment and delight. Explore our '80+ Books That Deliver a Hug' listicle for more feel-good or uplifting books.
'Stunning, immersive and absolutely wonderful' - Annie Lyons 'Woke up early to finish this breathtakingly beautiful story. Ruth Hogan's Madame Burova is absolutely wonderful' - Celia Anderson Madame Burova - Tarot Reader, Palmist and Clairvoyant is retiring and leaving her booth on the Brighton seafront after fifty years. Imelda Burova has spent a lifetime keeping other people's secrets and her silence has come at a price. She has seen the lovers and the liars, the angels and the devils, the dreamers and the fools. Her cards had unmasked them all and her cards never lied. But Madame Burova is weary of other people's lives, their ghosts from the past and other people's secrets, she needs rest and a little piece of life for herself. Before that, however, she has to fulfill a promise made a long time ago. She holds two brown envelopes in her hand, and she has to deliver them. In London, it is time for another woman to make a fresh start. Billie has lost her university job, her marriage, and her place in the world when she discovers something that leaves her very identity in question. Determined to find answers, she must follow a trail which might just lead right to Madame Burova's door. In a story spanning over fifty years, Ruth Hogan conjures a magical world of 1970s holiday camps and seaside entertainers, eccentrics, heroes and villains, the lost and the found. Young people, with their lives before them, make choices which echo down the years. And a wall of death rider is part of a love story which will last through time.
Madame Burova - Tarot Reader, Palmist and Clairvoyant was retiring and leaving her booth on the Brighton seafront after fifty years. Imelda Burova was a woman who knew where the bodies were buried. She had spent a lifetime keeping other people's secrets and her silence had come at a price. She had seen the lovers and the liars, the angels and the devils, the dreamers and the fools. Her cards had unmasked them all and her cards never lied. But Madame Burova was weary of other people's lives and other people's secrets, she needed rest and a little piece of life for herself. But before that she had to fulfill a promise made a long time ago. She held two brown envelopes in her hand, and she had to deliver them. In London, it is time for another woman to make a fresh start. Billie has lost her university job, her marriage, and her place in the world when she discovered something that leaves her very identity in question. Determined to find answers, she must follow a trail which might just lead right to Madame Burova's door. In a story spanning over fifty years Ruth Hogan has conjured a magical world of 1970s holiday camps and seaside entertainers, eccentrics, heroes and villains, the lost and the found. Young people, with their lives before them, make choices which echo down the years. And a wall of death rider is part of a love story which will last through time.
WINNER OF THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS' ASSOCIATION AWARD 2020 PICKED FOR WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2020 A PRIMA BOOK OF THE YEAR An uplifting novel of mothers and daughters, secrets and the astonishing power of friendship, from the wildly popular bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things. 'As lovely as a burst of bright bluebells' Sunday Express 'Technicolour' Daily Mail 'A moving exploration of the complex relationship between mothers and daughters' Observer 'A poignant tale of love and family' Good Housekeeping 'Enchanting . . . divine' Prima 'Beautifully written - astute and funny' Daily Express 'This book really shines . . . laugh-out-loud funny' Stylist Tilly was a bright, outgoing little girl who liked playing with ghosts and matches. She loved fizzy drinks, swear words, fish fingers and Catholic churches, but most of all she loved living in Brighton in Queenie Malone's magnificent Paradise Hotel with its endearing and loving family of misfits. But Tilly's childhood was shattered when her mother sent her away from the only home she'd ever loved to boarding school with little explanation and no warning. Now an adult, Tilda has grown into an independent woman still damaged by her mother's unaccountable cruelty. Wary of people, her only friend is her dog, Eli. But when her mother dies, Tilda returns to Brighton and with the help of her beloved Queenie sets about unravelling the mystery of her exile from The Paradise Hotel, only to discover that her mother was not the woman she thought she knew at all ... Mothers and daughters ... their story can be complicated ... but it can also turn out to have a happy ending. 'A tender tale' Woman & Home 'Absorbing, tender and heartfelt' Mike Gayle, author of The Man I Think I Know 'Her best novel yet' Hannah Beckerman, author of If Only I Could Tell You 'Exuberant and full of zest' Nina Pottell
WINNER OF THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS' ASSOCIATION AWARD 2020 PICKED FOR WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2020 A PRIMA BOOK OF THE YEAR An uplifting novel of mothers and daughters, secrets and the astonishing power of friendship, from the wildly popular bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things. 'As lovely as a burst of bright bluebells' Sunday Express 'Technicolour' Daily Mail 'A moving exploration of the complex relationship between mothers and daughters' Observer 'A poignant tale of love and family' Good Housekeeping 'Enchanting . . . divine' Prima 'Beautifully written - astute and funny' Daily Express 'This book really shines . . . laugh-out-loud funny' Stylist Tilly was a bright, outgoing little girl who liked playing with ghosts and matches. She loved fizzy drinks, swear words, fish fingers and Catholic churches, but most of all she loved living in Brighton in Queenie Malone's magnificent Paradise Hotel with its endearing and loving family of misfits. But Tilly's childhood was shattered when her mother sent her away from the only home she'd ever loved to boarding school with little explanation and no warning. Now an adult, Tilda has grown into an independent woman still damaged by her mother's unaccountable cruelty. Wary of people, her only friend is her dog, Eli. But when her mother dies, Tilda returns to Brighton and with the help of her beloved Queenie sets about unravelling the mystery of her exile from The Paradise Hotel, only to discover that her mother was not the woman she thought she knew at all ... Mothers and daughters ... their story can be complicated ... but it can also turn out to have a happy ending. 'A tender tale' Woman & Home 'Absorbing, tender and heartfelt' Mike Gayle, author of The Man I Think I Know 'Her best novel yet' Hannah Beckerman, author of If Only I Could Tell You 'Exuberant and full of zest' Nina Pottell
*THE PERFECT UP-LIT SUMMER READ, RECOMMENDED BY THOUSANDS OF READERS* THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & WINNER OF THE RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB 'One of the most charming novels either of us has read. Don't lose it. Keep it' Richard & Judy Meet the 'Keeper of Lost Things'... Once a celebrated author of short stories now in his twilight years, Anthony Peardew has spent half his life collecting lost objects, trying to atone for a promise broken many years before. Realising he is running out of time, he leaves his house and all its lost treasures to his assistant Laura, the one person he can trust to fulfil his legacy and reunite the thousands of objects with their rightful owners. But the final wishes of the 'Keeper of Lost Things' have unforeseen repercussions which trigger a most serendipitous series of encounters... 'Touching, funny and romantic' Daily Mail 'A charming read, perfect for the holidays' The Lady 'A warm and heartfelt debut' Prima And if you loved The Keeper of Lost Things, don't miss Ruth Hogan's other novels, Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel, and The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes.
Charmant, auergewohnlich und liebenswert. Machen Sie sich mit Mr. Peardew auf die Suche nach verlorenen Dingen. Jeder Gegenstand, den Anthony Peardew auf der Strae findet, hat eine Geschichte. Er sammelt und archiviert sie alle in seinem gediegenen viktorianischen Haus und plant, sie eines Tages an ihre ursprnglichen Besitzer zurckzugeben. Denn er selbst sieht sich nur als Hter der verlorenen Dinge. Vor Jahren hat er selbst etwas verloren, das er seitdem auf seinen Streifzgen sucht: ein Schmuckstck. Es gehrte seiner groen Liebe, und das Medaillon verbindet sie noch immer mit ihm. Anthony muss diese besondere Aufgabe jedoch an seine Erbin Laura weitergeben, ohne ihr von dem groen Geheimnis erzhlt zu haben, das seine Sammlung umgibt.
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