Stephanie Sullivan: Review - The Paper Palace

October 18, 2021

TITLE: The Paper Palace

RATING: ★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): 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.

REVIEW: WOW! I can't think of many words to describe this book other than raw and heartbreakingly real. Elle's story grabs you hard and doesn't let go. It was a constant rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end, and I went back and forth between "What in the world could possibly happen next?" and just complete shock. The only thing that swayed me from giving it five stars is the wide range of characters. There were so many it was sometimes confusing and hard to keep up with them all. I had to reread certain passages to get reacquainted with who belonged to which spouse and/or family. I'm still stunned this is the author's debut novel. Truly incredible storytelling. If you want a story that will keep your attention from start to finish then I would recommend The Paper Palace, BUT on a side note I wouldn't recommend it to those who may be triggered by story lines dealing with rape, incest, and pedophilia. Just my two cents.