My husband is a handsome man. Not beautiful, but handsome in an old-fashioned movie star way. Tall. Elegant. British. A respected journalist. The kind of man he looks sexy in a suit. Captivating debut… full of lush atmospheric details. This will keep the reader guessing all the way to the end.” — Publishers Weekly

Set in the physical and psychic landscape of Cape Cod, The Paper Palace is a fever dream of a novel, luminous with love and shot through with humor and heartbreak. It is a book that explores the indelibility of childhood, what it means to be shaped by place, and all that is unpredictable about the human heart. I couldn't put it down Adrienne Brodeur, author of Wild Game Jonas gives Elle the green glass ring after Conrad dies. They have already made an oath to keep the secret of Conrad’s death and Jonas seems to see this ring as a sort of promise ring. Did anyone ever see the movie called “Adore”, with Robin Wright and Naomi Watts….(they each had an affair with each other’s son)…and it took place in lush Australia…in a beach house? Beautiful and uncomfortable- right? The story is raw, graphic, disturbing, full of wit, and, quite frankly, just wonderful. This novel is down to earth, humble, warm. I laughed to myself a number of times throughout the novel; the protagonist’s mother, Wallace, is the epitome of dry humour and wit.

Become a Member

The secondary problem is that the blurb sells you a contemporary tale of love, conflict, betrayal and sacrifice that many a middle aged woman could either relate to or be vicariously curious about. Except instead you get this woman's life story whom you don't care about. Plus there are an overwhelming number of trigger warnings, all of them Bad. Aside 2: Writing this review has really revealed to me just how much I disliked my reading experience. I'm downgrading this to one star because a few lyrical passages isn't enough to justify an extra star.

In the multigenerational story, we see the reverberations of the choices made by grandparents and parents, and the scars they have left on Elle herself. In what way do those scars reveal themselves, and is it possible to break the cycle?The atmosphere is tangible throughout and plays a large role in the overall storyline. The plot centres around a cluster of secluded cottages near a pond and forest that hold deeply buried family secrets. So what made Elle decide to sleep with Jonas after all these years? She had plenty of opportunities. Both of them were in Cape Cod nearly every summer. They know each other’s spouses and families. They both seem to have ties to New York, so they could easily run into each other there, or arrange to meet. When Elle has the opportunity to tell Peter she slept with Jonas, she does not. When Peter says he “knows” about Elle and Jonas, Elle feels pure panic. She’s relieved when all Peter “knows” is that Elle kissed Peter, and even then she convinces him that she was just kissing his burnt hand. It’s one of the most explosive-alive -experiences of writing I’ve read all year. Its psychologically riveting—gut-wrenching-complex- COMPLICATED ….lush, dreamy….with sensitive understandable thought-provoking situations!!! I found it quite reflective. Honestly it’s so exhilarating —-in the best ways contemporary novels can be. I’m in aw of the writing.

Elle feels horribly guilty but reflects on her family history, which includes her mother being sexually abused by her stepfather and Elle being raped at age sixteen by her stepbrother, Conrad. Thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I'll post that review upon publication.I particularly liked the ending, which has a note of ambiguity - enough to make me re-read the last section, which I felt then clarified Elle's decision for me. It was so subtly done at the end but the clues were actually there throughout, which was very clever. It raises questions about whether our decisions are based on the moment or are actually inevitably based on everything that has come before. Cowley Heller has had a prolific career across books, magazines, and TV. [1] She began her career at Cosmopolitan magazine where she worked as a fiction and books editor. [1] [4] [3] She spent a decade as head of drama series at HBO in the early 2000s. [6] While at HBO, she worked on hit shows such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Big Love, and Deadwood. [4] [7] As a writer, she has worked both as a ghostwriter and a screenwriting editor. [6] In 2021, she published her own debut novel, The Paper Palace. [1] TV [ edit ]

Regarding the rest of the story, it feels like a wasted opportunity. So much beautiful writing, yet the story is so meandering and pointless. Any one chapter feels like a lyrical journey, but you try putting it all together and it's utterly forgettable. I pee in the bushes, walk down the path to my cabin, and throw myself onto the bare mattress. I’m so happy to be here”……..When Elle is in her 20s, she is almost mugged in London. The mugger wants her to hand over the green ring glass that Jonas gave her. A Brit called Peter rescues her (and her ring) and they start dating. The Paper Palace unfolds over twenty-four hours, and fifty years: one day in Elle’s life, and the moments that lead to this day. What do we gain through multiple timelines that we otherwise would not? The Paper Palace tells the story of Elle, a woman who is married to Peter and has three children with him. The novel is called The Paper Palace. Why? What parallels exist between the camp and the people who inhabit it? As argued above, the fact that she does NOT admit to sleeping with Jonas is important. It would be the perfect opening to admit it to Peter. It would be so easy for her to agree with Peter that yes, she did it and she’s leaving him. But she doesn’t say that.