Review: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

Publisher: Riverhead Books

Published: July 6, 2021

Source: Personal copy

Summary:

It is a perfect July morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at “The Paper Palace” — the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. But this morning is different: last night Elle and her oldest friend Jonas crept out the back door into the darkness and had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses chatted away inside.

Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn’t forever changed the course of their lives.

As Heller colors in the experiences that have led Elle to this day, we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanors of families.

My thoughts:

This is the type of book that I loved but have struggled with trying to figure out how to review. I picked this one up to read when it was selected as a Reese Book Club pick and it really is a beautifully written story though it probably is not going to be for everyone as it does get into some taboo topics, so definitely proceed with caution.

I loved the structure of this book, how it takes place in the present and then uses flashbacks to flush out what had happened in the past with all the characters to make what is going on so fraught with tension. The writing is so compelling that even though there are some scenes that are a bit unsettling for lack of a better word you cannot help but keep reading. I found myself completely swept up in this story and even when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about these characters. Not all the characters are likeable but they are all quite memorable and I think that is really what makes this book stand out in so many ways. That and the lush, vivid writing. The author really uses the setting to her advantage and I felt like I myself was there in Cape Cod with the characters at the cottage.

This is a book that I know I will be picking again because I know I missed a few things along the way and I want to revisit this stunning writing again for sure. And without a doubt I know I will be reading whatever it is that Miranda Cowley Heller writes next…she is one author that is not to be missed!