Centred on an eminently credible love triangle and the emotional fallout of a chance affair over the course of half a century, Heller's mesmerising novel fizzes with sexual tension and the devastating tragedies that can unwittingly be set in motion.
Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022
Before anyone else is awake, on a perfect August morning, Elle Bishop heads out for a swim in the glorious freshwater pond below 'The Paper Palace' – the gently decaying summer camp in the back woods of Cape Cod where her family has spent every summer for generations.
As she passes the house, Elle glances through the screen porch at the uncleared table from the dinner the previous evening; empty wine glasses, candle wax on the tablecloth, echoes of laughter of family and friends. Then she dives beneath the surface of the freezing water to the shocking memory of the sudden passionate encounter she had the night before, up against the wall behind the house, as her husband and mother chatted to the guests inside.
So begins a story that unfolds over twenty-four hours and across fifty years, as decades of family legacies, love, lies, secrets, and one unspeakable incident in her childhood lead Elle to the precipice of a life-changing decision. Over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the world she has made with her much-loved husband, Peter, and the life she imagined would be hers with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn't forever changed the course of their lives.
Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace is a masterful novel that brilliantly illuminates the tensions between desire and safety; the legacy of tragedy, and the crimes and misdemeanours of families.
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
ISBN: 9780241990452
Number of pages: 400
Weight: 280 g
Dimensions: 194 x 128 x 36 mm
A deeply emotional love story that follows one day in the life of Elle Bishop as she navigates the unravelling of secrets, lies and a very complex love triangle - Reese Witherspoon
It's glorious and gorgeous. I was absolutely immersed and gripped and I'm devastated to have finished it - Marian Keyes
This accomplished family saga is gripping and poetic, capturing the complexity of the human heart - Daily Mirror
A family drama, a forbidden love story, a childhood tragedy, The Paper Palace is a stunning literary debut that will eat you up and leave you reeling - you won't want it to end - Independent
Set in a sprawling set of cabins in the woods by the Cape – The Paper palace – home for generations to Elle and her family. Every summer she goes there with her husband, three children and her mother. This story is... More
Having stayed up far too late last night to finish The Paper Palace, I still feel gut-punched by the finale. Be warned, this is not a light and easy read. It is powerful, searing and absolutely addictive. Brilliant... More
This richly-textured love story takes place within 24 hours, though most of the book comprises flashbacks depicting Elle’s upbringing and several key incidents. I must admit, I didn’t love it at first as there was too... More
Please sign in to write a review
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?