I have written a lot of book reviews in my time at DIVINE and am an avid reader. When I look for new books to read, I am often drawn to Heather’s Picks at Indigo. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller is not just a Heather’s Pick, it was also a selection for Reese’s Book Club (yes that’s the Reese Witherspoon whom we know and some of us love).
I decided a long time ago not to limit book reviews to current or future best sellers, but to books that I have on my shelves. Many of us have extensive personal libraries and I am always looking for recommendations whether they are new books or old favourites. The Paper Palace was released in 2021 and it was on a list submitted to me for review purposes. It was a New York Times #1 best seller and a book club favourite.
The Paper Palace – About the Book
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 August 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.
The Review AKA Should Heather’s Pick Be Your Pick?
Like many compelling books, The Paper Palace is written across two timelines—the present and the past—all told from the protagonist Elle’s point of view. The story begins the morning after she cheats on her husband with her childhood best friend, Jonas. The narrative is made complex by the secrets Elle and Jonas share. Adding to the tension is Elle’s deep love for both her first love and her husband.
The hallmark of a well-crafted love triangle is when, as a reader, you can’t easily determine the “right” choice. The true allure of The Paper Palace lies in the journey it takes you on, leading to a somewhat ambiguous ending. While the resolution of who Elle chooses is clear, understanding it requires reading between the metaphors.
Elle’s journey is fascinating because her life is shaped by challenging relationships—starting with her mother. That relationship, and the advice her mother gives throughout the story, plays a pivotal role in Elle’s final decision: whether to stay with Peter, the husband she loves and has built a family with, or to rekindle her relationship with Jonas, her first love and best friend.
Throughout the book, you witness the trauma Elle experienced as a teenager, which ultimately distanced her from Jonas. You also see her relationship with Peter flourish and how she navigates life after significant loss. The Paper Palace—her family’s summer home, where she has spent every summer of her life—is not just a setting for the story but an integral part of it. To Elle, the house is as meaningful as New York City is to Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. It becomes almost like a character in its own right, rather than just a backdrop.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but be prepared to ponder its ending for days. That, in itself, is the mark of a well-written novel. So, should Heather’s Pick be your pick? The answer is a resounding yes. For anyone who enjoys layered, thought-provoking storytelling, this is a must-read.
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