Title: Changing Shoes

Author: Tina Sloan

Genres: Memoir

 

In Changing Shoes by Tina Sloan, the author recounts major and minor moments of her life in various roles she has taken on, from actress to mother. Through her experiences, she includes suggestions to the reader to take into account about how to live life to the fullest. In an ever-changing life, Tina Sloan changes shoes and roles many times and encourages us to as well.

Changing Shoes is an easy read at about fifty thousand words and is written with straightforward language. It is the type of book anyone could pick up and finish in a few days. As the reader immerses into the pages, the narrative that is Tina Sloan’s life draws us in. She uses humor to convey timeless truths, and her unique voice is apparent throughout the story.

We get a glimpse into what it is like to be an actress, especially on a soap opera. Although soap operas are mostly a relic of the past now, they were on radio and TV for decades and were a cultural staple before we were inundated with streaming services. She portrayed a nurse named Lillian Raines on Guiding Light for three decades, and after the show was canceled, Sloan found she had to reinvent herself yet again (thus changing shoes). Her creativity and vivaciousness shine through the pages as she writes about becoming a mother and writing a play about shoes, how shoes have played an important role since her adolescence.

In addition, Sloan speaks directly to many women when she addresses topics on inward and outward beauty. She gives a lot of attention to the merit of aging gracefully and approaching advanced years. Although clothes and makeup can help give a woman confidence, it is how she carries herself with dignity through life’s ups and downs that matters.

Sloan ends each chapter with a list of practical tips and steps to apply to life, to help make it more enjoyable or easier. Thus, her memoir becomes a self-help guide as well, broadening her potential audience. Her style and voice speak mostly to women, however.

One of the toughest subjects she writes at length about was caring for her aging parents. This is a sad, stark reality many must face. While her mom had dementia, her dad had cancer, two quite different ways in which they ailed for many years. There were touching moments and raw moments, as her relationship with both her parents changed. Sloan briefly mentions growing up Catholic and how that instilled values in her, like visiting the sick and mourning when someone dies. These values carried over into her own experiences with her parents in ways that will stay with the reader long after the pages are turned. However, beyond mentioning the values her childhood faith planted in her, she does not bring any further elements of faith into the picture. This is one component that some readers may feel is lacking, as most believe their loved ones most onto a better place after death, and many also lean on their faith, especially during hard times.

Changing Shoes is a witty, humorous, and pragmatic memoir with sprinklings of self-help. Tina Sloan’s ability to connect with the reader, especially women, will make them feel like they’re in the company of a friend as she talks about life. For lovers of true-life stories, Tina Sloan’s Changing Shoes is a solid choice.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.