Genre: Contemporary
Book Type: Physical
Author: Miranda Cowley Heller
Pages: 400
Publisher: Riverhead Books (July 6, 2021)
Book Description:
A story of summer, secrets, love, and lies: in the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades. “This house, this place, knows all my secrets.” 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.
Thoughts:
Unpopular opinion: This book didn’t do it for me! 😫 BUT – let me explain why…
This is the story of Elle, Peter and Jonas. One night, Elle and Jonas have an affair while their spouses are in the house. Within the next 24 hours, you dive into the backstory of what led to that night, and the decision Elle makes moving forward. In a story that covers everything from family, relationships, love, friendship, abuse, assault, strength, lies, divorce, marriage, secrets, and the choices we have to live with, what fell short for me was that this story was based on the affair, but instead was a LOT of childhood backstory, without a lot present day story. I wanted so much more than this book gave me, and while it gave me a lot, it didn’t give me what I expected (hard to say too much more because I don’t want to ruin the ending).
There were some beautiful passages that made me pause and reflect, that I will share below.
🌸 We drag our past behind us like a weight, still shackled, but far enough back that we never have to see, never have to openly acknowledge who we once were.
🌸 I have two choices. One I can’t have. One I don’t deserve to have. Does letting go mean losing everything you have, or does it mean gaining everything you never had?
🌸 We already know the right answer, even when we don’t – or we think we don’t. But what if it’s a trick coin? What if both sides are the same? If both are right, then both are wrong.
🌸 “There are some swims you do regret, Elenor. The problem is, you never know until you take them.”
If you like #contemporaryliterature, this may be for you. I’ve been enjoying it, but this one just fell short for me.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
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