Elle Bishop, a middle-aged woman, spends twenty-four hours at her family’s summer camp in Cape Cod, known as The Paper Palace. The narrative alternates between this single sweltering day and five decades of past events. After having sex with her childhood friend Jonas while their respective spouses remain inside the cabin, Elle faces a choice between her stable marriage to Peter and the life she might have had with Jonas. The story details a childhood trauma and a shared secret that bound Elle and Jonas together years earlier.
This novel is for readers who enjoy family sagas centered on complex moral dilemmas and the long-term impact of shared history. It appeals to those interested in the tension between duty and desire within established relationships. Readers walk away with a specific portrait of how early experiences shape adult identities and a look at the consequences of keeping secrets within a family. The book provides an examination of the difference between a love built on safety and a love rooted in a difficult past.
Inward-looking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2021
- Language
- EN
