The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

In one of the most captivating reads of the year, Miranda Cowley Heller shares the story of a woman choosing between the two men she has always loved.  Beautifully written, The Paper Palace is simply one book not to be missed.

Plot Summary

Elle is a 50-year-old happily married mother of three.  She awakens one July morning in her favourite place – in the family summer camp nicknamed The Paper Palace.  This morning, however, is different than most mornings.  The evening before she and her childhood best friend snuck out of their dinner party and had sex for the very first time.

Over the course of twenty-four hours, Elle will have to make a decision.  Should she stay with Peter the husband she adores, or Jonas the man she grew up with and expected to marry had it not been for a tragic event. The story is told over 24 hours but also in reflections over the past 50 years.

Book Review

This book has one of the most descriptive settings I ever recall in a book – one can easily visualize the area around The Paper Palace.  The character development is quite remarkable and quite honestly made the book for me.

Elle’s family history is quite incredible, with parents and grandparents disposing of spouses with regularity. As a result, Elle has a revolving door of step-parents and step-siblings including one who plays a significant role in the story. The one constant she had in her life growing up was being able to spend each summer with her best friend Jonas.  This relationship easily picked up each summer and it was enjoyable to read how the two would build on their relationship.

As an adult, Elle ends up moving to London for several years at which time she met Peter.  The author provides many compelling moments and descriptions of how Elle feels about Peter.  Even after many years of marriage, she finds joy in the small things about him.  It’s interesting to note that when the author speaks of Peter the weather is typically bleak.  In contrast, when she speaks of Jonas, it’s a beautiful sunny day.

The book has some very dark moments, so if you’re one to watch for trigger warnings be aware of this.  In fact, about one-third of the way through the book I almost did not finish it.  The second half of the book was much more enjoyable and I’m certainly happy I finished it.

Audiobook Review

I listened to the audiobook version of The Paper Palace which was narrated by Nan McNamara who gives an outstanding performance.  I particularly loved when she spoke in the voice of Elle’s mother who is a very complex and opinionated woman.  Her cadence and tonality throughout the book made it easy to listen to.  I would not hesitate to recommend this version of the book to those that appreciate this format.

What I Liked:

• The detailed character development
• The descriptive setting of the camp and surrounding area
• The nod to growing up in the 1970’s and 1980’s with references to food and music .

I Recommend This Book To:

Those readers who enjoy Women’s Fiction.  This is a great read for book clubs and is sure to initiate lots of discussion.

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Add The Paper Palace to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to my local public library for purchasing this audiobook.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Thank you for reading!  I hope that you enjoyed this review and that I’ve helped you find your next great read.  I’d love for you to subscribe to blog so that you won’t miss a post.  As always, I hope that you have a wonderful day. ☺️