What About The Paper Palace?
Baby, it’s cold outside! I guess that all depends on what day you are reading this, as we could be experiencing a wintry mix or, instead, be outside soaking up that January sun. Either way, are we the only family still blaring Christmas music? I’m hopeful the tunes streaming from our Alexa will summon mother nature to get cold and stay cold for a minute. Mama can only sweat so much and the thought of curling up with a good book by the fire is magical enough to keep alive the merriment of a season long gone.
For my January review, I wanted to cover a book that will appeal to many tastes and be intriguing enough to make you crave the next chapter. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller is a book set against the enduring backdrop of Cape Cod that spans generations from the early childhood of the main character, Elle, into her 50s. In keeping with the theme, chapter by chapter, the reader jumps back in time and skips forward to the events of the next 24 hours. The format keeps you on your toes while you are emotionally processing what is happening to the characters and the lifelong impacts of each decision they make. The Paper Palace seemed to hit all the high notes for anything you might look for in a good book: strong character development, drama, love, hate, relationships, secrets, friendships, family. In an effort not to give too much away, but also highlight what I found to be most interesting, I’ll list what I enjoyed most about this book.
FEATURES
Relationship Dynamics: What relationship did Heller not cover? There is the dysfunctional family dynamic that comes from divorce and remarriage, a boy and girl best friendship teeming with sexual tension, the bond of mothers and daughters and the connection between sisters. The United States and Europe get married—well, Elle and Peter get married.
Intriguing scandal: There is sexual assault, murder, affairs, lies and a coverup. This book is very juicy but be warned and consider if any of these issues could be triggering for you while reading.
Domino Effect Decisions: What effect do the decisions of our parents have on the decisions we make as teenagers? How do the decisions we make as teenagers change the direction of our paths as adults?
REMARKABLE MOMENTS
“But it’s what we do, what we’ve done for years now. 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.” —Miranda Cowley Heller, The Paper Palace
“Ever since I was old enough to question my own instincts, my mother has given me the same piece of advice: ‘Flip a coin, Eleanor. If the answer you get disappoints you, do the opposite.’ 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.” —Miranda Cowley Heller, The Paper Palace
“...now there is no turning back. No more regrets for what I haven’t done. Now only regrets for what I have done. I love him, I hate myself; I love myself, I hate him. This is the end of a long story.” —Miranda Cowley Heller, The Paper Palace
FINAL TAKEAWAY AND RATING
If you like Where the Crawdads Sing, you will enjoy The Paper Palace. I’ve not stumbled upon anything that I found quite like Crawdads, but this held my intrigue, and I would definitely recommend it as a good book to curl up with on the couch by the fire. 3 stars ★★★✩✩!
