This month’s Reese’s Book Club Pick! I go back and forth with how I feel about this book. Miranda Cowley Heller is a beautiful writer and this book is the perfect summer read. The narrative is complex and intriguing, that presents dark, real life issues and confusing matters of the heart.
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.
Though this story can be for anyone, I did find it difficult to relate to this fifty-year-old woman. I’ve read stories where the character is in a different phase of life than myself, but this one just missed the mark for me. Had she been a little more relatable, I might’ve felt differently about the book!
The story itself was dark and complex, and I should issue a warning, because it is also very triggering. However, I think the author told the story itself in a beautiful way. She has a writing style that is elegant and easy to follow.
Overall, if you’re in need for a quick summer read, this would be the perfect book for you! My personal preferences and opinions are entirely my own, so I will always recommend giving every book a try! It may be the perfect story for you!
Books and Bites with Brooke 