“Haunting and hypnotic, Shapiro's debut novel will long linger in the reader’s mind. JEN-ZEN illuminates the beauty to be found in the dark vacuum of unfathomable personal loss, and inspires.”

~ Michael Steven Gregory, Exec. Dir. of the Southern California Writers Conference

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“Feeling the blues of sadness, the reds of rage, and all the shades in between…” Jen-Zen and the One Shoe Diaries is vivid with imagery. Julie Ann Shapiro colorfully depicts the realities and wondrousness of relationships through the ethereal sensitivity of Jen-Zen and the longing heart of Brad Lynberry.

~S. M. Murdock, Member, Bewildering Stories Editorial Review Board

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“An endearing poetic love story; romantic longing made sublime through creative expression, and the heart of it, a mystery as in all true love stories.”

~ P.M. Boekhoff, Author, World View Ecology

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"Jen Zen and the One Shoe Diaries is a far-reaching story full of lyrical beauty...It’s part mystery, part poetry. It has elements of magic realism and surrealism. Author Julie Ann Shapiro has a knack for capturing the essence of relationships and all their uncertainties. At times, Brad’s relationships (with Jen Zen, his grandmother, mother and sister) are a comfort. Other times they are a web, ready to ensnare him. In the end, he learns to see life from his own perspective, without the comfort of a camera’s lens to distort it, and he realizes that the challenge of a relationship is what makes it worthwhile."

~ Kim McDougall, Editor, Between the Cracks

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"This is a singular book, original in voice, thoughtful in tone. The shoes seem to be telling Brad something. Jen-Zen has had an accident and is trying to communicate from somewhere beyond. Can Brad use his photographer’s art to rescue his true love?”

~ Scott Barnes, Editor NewMyths.com

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"It starts with a harrowing ordeal that challenges Brad's emotional well-being and is soon transformed into a riveting mystery. A whimsical romp following a trail of single shoes culminates into an extraordinary journey into the human heart."

~ Mark Lagamayo, Amazon Reviewer

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"In the novel, Jen-Zen & The One Shoe Diaries, Brad and his own shoe obsession are tied to his search for connection and love in, and beyond, the shoes themselves. His very rendering the shoes as art in his photographic collection, dubbed Shoe-sophy is something artists, shoe-lovers, and readers can relate to, but it is the mystery that will keep you reading. Find out what happens to Brad and Jen-Zen in this enthralling, modern-day mystery of love, romance, and shoes."

~ Richard Snow, Amazon Reviewer

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Anyone who has ever had a relative in intensive care will recognize the first few chapters of this book: the way a relative drifts in and out of a morphine induced fog, the attempts of others to communicate with them, and the apparent unreality of the whole situation. Anyone who has ever had their life tipped upside down will agree with the main character who wants his old life back.

I won't try to summarize the subject of this book, or its main themes: the first reviewer has done that well.

But Ms. Shapiro has an eye for detail, an awareness of bodily sensations, a sense of smell and light that few writers have. Often as I read this book I thought, "Why didn't I write that sentence?"

I'd give it 5 stars.

~Richard Snow,www.snowinmelbourne.com

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