Rose and Maggie, raised by a vicious stepmother and an insensitive father, grow up with problems. Rose becomes a lawyer and a drudge; Maggie is an actress wannabe who never quite makes it and relies on stodgy Rose to bail her out of the scrapes she gets into. The relationship of the sisters through the years is the focus of this novel, which explores the difficulties of being part of a family that is seething with resentment, grief, and pain. IN HER SHOES was adapted into a 2005 film, starring Cameron Diaz as Maggie and Toni Collette as Rose.