The Paper Palace
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- Create Date：2021-07-08 06:53:12
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Miranda Cowley Heller
- ISBN：0593329821
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Summary
"This house， this place， knows all my secrets。"
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。
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。
Reviews
Hannah
，
"There is no such thing as unforgivable between people who love each other。 But even as I’m thinking it， I know it’s not really true。" Ever since she was a child， "The Paper Palace" had been a place where Elle and her family would spend their holidays。 Now married and with children of her own， it is still a somewhere she regularly visits with her family and friends。 Following a rash decision made in the heat of the moment， the story jumps between the past and present， revealing generations of co "There is no such thing as unforgivable between people who love each other。 But even as I’m thinking it， I know it’s not really true。" Ever since she was a child， "The Paper Palace" had been a place where Elle and her family would spend their holidays。 Now married and with children of her own， it is still a somewhere she regularly visits with her family and friends。 Following a rash decision made in the heat of the moment， the story jumps between the past and present， revealing generations of complicated relationships and some questionable， heartbreaking decisions。。。 OK， so I went in with no expectations and knowing next to nothing about the plot， but I never imagined how invested I'd become in the story。 This is compelling， domestic drama at its absolute finest。 Wow。 Just， wow。 👌🏻 One thing that stood out to me was how certain traumatic events can happen to a member of one generation and indirectly affect another。 Additionally， without going into too much detail， there were some prime examples of how （in my opinion） parents can fail at protecting their children。 Miranda has nailed everything here from the absolutely stunning imagery to a captivating story。 Her writing is fantastic and I just cannot fault it。 Put it this way， I loved this book so much I've already ordered a physical copy。 **Granted there's some pretty heavy topics I wasn't entirely prepared for， so do be aware of the following trigger warnings: child abuse， sexual assault， infidelity and incest。 Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
Read this book- but know in advance that it is distressing and graphic in spots。 The publicity has trumpeted a love triangle but that's not what this is about at all。 Not one bit， although， admittedly， the novel does open with Elle cheating on her husband Peter with her childhood friend Peter。 But that's not what this is about either。 Jonas is the only person who knows Elle's deep and horrible secret。 Elle and her sister live a difficult life as children as their mother， who was abused by her st Read this book- but know in advance that it is distressing and graphic in spots。 The publicity has trumpeted a love triangle but that's not what this is about at all。 Not one bit， although， admittedly， the novel does open with Elle cheating on her husband Peter with her childhood friend Peter。 But that's not what this is about either。 Jonas is the only person who knows Elle's deep and horrible secret。 Elle and her sister live a difficult life as children as their mother， who was abused by her stepfather， brings multiple people into their lives and their father moves on with new wives。 Anna， who is older， is spared what happens to Elle after she's sent to boarding school as a punishment。 Elle- poor Elle。 The family goes every year to the Paper Palace， so named because of its construction， on the Cape， where they swim and sail and so on。 It's a place of refuge but also of horror。 Jonas and Elle are b0nded psychically if not physically /by something they do together。 Elle's marriage to Peter is a good one。 It's hard to review this without spoilers。 There are many layers and several surprises， especially for Elle。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 This may make you weep for Elle and Anna。 It's beautifully written and truly gripping。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
smalltownbookmom
，
Solid 3。5 rounded up - This wasn't necessarily my cup of tea （and definitely isn't a light summer read） but if you enjoy dysfunctional families， stories about first loves， childhood trauma， dark secrets， and places that seep into your very bones this might just be yours。 The writing is hauntingly beautiful， even when the subject matter is disturbing。 Set over one July day but told with flashbacks from the past， this story evokes all the feelings you've ever had for a beloved summer home。 I feel Solid 3。5 rounded up - This wasn't necessarily my cup of tea （and definitely isn't a light summer read） but if you enjoy dysfunctional families， stories about first loves， childhood trauma， dark secrets， and places that seep into your very bones this might just be yours。 The writing is hauntingly beautiful， even when the subject matter is disturbing。 Set over one July day but told with flashbacks from the past， this story evokes all the feelings you've ever had for a beloved summer home。 I feel like this will either be a love it or hate it kind of book solely based on reader's tastes。 Recommended for fans of Where the crawdads sing， When the stars go dark or What comes after。 Miranda Cowley Heller is a talented writer and one to watch。 Even though I had a hard time connecting to the main character at times， I couldn't put this debut down。⚠️TW: rape， sexual abuse， miscarriage， cancer， accidental drowningFavorite quote:"This place， every wheeze， every grunt， is in my bones。 The soft crunch of pine needles under my bare feet， the waft of minnows， the musk fishy smell of wet sand and pine water。 This house， built out of paper， tiny bits of shredded cardboard pressed together into something strong enough to withstand time。 The difficult， lonely winters， always threatening to fall into ruin， yet still standing， year after year when we return。 This house， this place， knows all my secrets。 I am in its bones too。" 。。。more
Sam Whittaker
，
The Paper Palace is the name given to a run down group of holiday cabins in Cape Cod。 Built by her grandfather， Elle has spent the summer there since she was a little child。 Now， in middle age， she is there once again with her husband， kids and mother。 The book covers events over a 24 hour period， starting from when Elle and Jonas， her old friend and first love， rashly sneak out to have sex during a gathering。 The resulting dilemma for Elle is interwoven with flashbacks to her childhood and earl The Paper Palace is the name given to a run down group of holiday cabins in Cape Cod。 Built by her grandfather， Elle has spent the summer there since she was a little child。 Now， in middle age， she is there once again with her husband， kids and mother。 The book covers events over a 24 hour period， starting from when Elle and Jonas， her old friend and first love， rashly sneak out to have sex during a gathering。 The resulting dilemma for Elle is interwoven with flashbacks to her childhood and early years of marriage， uncovering tragedy， abuse and a terrible secret that she and Jonas have shared for years。 The Paper Palace is a wonderful book and a faultless debut， the writing is so beautiful that you feel you are in Back Woods， next to a decaying cabin， taking a swim in a water lily strewn pond。 The characters are strongly written。 Even if you don’t agree with what Elle does you can empathise with her。 Miranda Crowley Heller writes older people particularly well and with great fondness。 I was totally absorbed in the story and didn’t want it to end。 I look forward to more from this writer。 Thank you to #netgalley and #riverheadbooks for allowing me to review this ARC 。。。more
Cathy Branciforte
，
This is such a beautifully written book。 It captures one day in the life of Elle， the main character， yet covers 50 years of her life in between as the story moves forward。 And oh， what a life it was。 Happy in parts， sad， tragic， mistakes made， bad decisions。。。all of which at some point come back to haunt her。 This will make a great book club book with so much to discuss。 Thanks to Riverhead Books and Edelweiss for the digital review copy。
Louise Wilson
，
3。5 stars rounded up to 4**TRIGGER WARNING** A Traumatic string of sexual abuse/rapet's a perfect July morning， Ellie， 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 Ellie 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 together inside。 Now， ove 3。5 stars rounded up to 4**TRIGGER WARNING** A Traumatic string of sexual abuse/rapet's a perfect July morning， Ellie， 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 Ellie 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 together inside。 Now， over the next twenty four hours， Ellie will have to decide between the life she has made with her beloved husband Peter or the life she's always imagined with Jonas。The Paper Palace is the name of the summer resort that Ellie's family have been visiting for years。 The story is told in a dual timeline: the present day and back in time from Ellie's childhood。 It descriptively written but also gut churning at the same time。 The pace is slow to begin with and I did struggle to get into it， but as soon as the secrets and lies started to reveal themselves， I was hooked。 This is not an easy book to read and it might upset some readers due to some of it's contents。I would like to thank #NetGalley #PenguinGeneralUK and the author #MirandaCowleyHeller for my ARC of #ThePaperPalace in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kirsty
，
The Paper Palace - Miranda Cowley HellerNarrated by Nan McNamaraI received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarilyIt 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 darknes The Paper Palace - Miranda Cowley HellerNarrated by Nan McNamaraI received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarilyIt 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。This is a family saga， spanning from when Elle is a child all the way up to when she is a mother。 Told in multiple times， there are flashbacks which help the reader to understand all that Elle does。 I had no idea what to expect when starting this book but it is no way what I would have expected。I am not entirely sure how I feel about this book， I found myself wanting to stop reading due to the mention of sexual harassment of a child， however I found myself unable to actually stop listening。 This is not a book for the easily offended but nevertheless it is an enjoyable read。 。。。more
Carol
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I liked this book and would read something else by the author if given the opportunity。 The dates alternated from long ago to present in an unordered way which was annoying until I knew what was happening， but I can see it was done for a reason and fell into the pattern of checking the dates instead of skipping them as I often do so this was my fault for not paying attention to the info that was given。A summer place， long held family memories relating to the place， good memories and bad all mixe I liked this book and would read something else by the author if given the opportunity。 The dates alternated from long ago to present in an unordered way which was annoying until I knew what was happening， but I can see it was done for a reason and fell into the pattern of checking the dates instead of skipping them as I often do so this was my fault for not paying attention to the info that was given。A summer place， long held family memories relating to the place， good memories and bad all mixed together as the family grows through the years。 The relatives have had quite some experiences， many of which were out of the ordinary for me， but the characters as a whole felt real。The friend from your youth coming in and out of your life is done well and is believable。 The current dilemma is one many have faced and have not always dealt with in a healthy way， but I liked the way it was handled。Good story。 3 stars。Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Riverhead for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion。 。。。more
Helen
，
I tried to get in to the story but I couldn't like the characters and their self absorption。 The moving between different time periods annoyed me。 Not for me but sure it will appeal to a different audience than myself。 I tried to get in to the story but I couldn't like the characters and their self absorption。 The moving between different time periods annoyed me。 Not for me but sure it will appeal to a different audience than myself。 。。。more
Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Rampling
，
I was so looking forward to this one， after seeing such high review ratings。Firstly， the writing is breathtaking。 It is so well written， I feel harsh giving it 3 stars。 But for me， the plot didn't hold up to much scrutiny。 It was too much of a slow burn for me and I have a strong need for an eventful story， that consumes me and keeps me engaged。 I didn't care for the characters and the decisions they made。 There were so many sex scenes， I felt like I was reading Fifty Shades at times。 They just I was so looking forward to this one， after seeing such high review ratings。Firstly， the writing is breathtaking。 It is so well written， I feel harsh giving it 3 stars。 But for me， the plot didn't hold up to much scrutiny。 It was too much of a slow burn for me and I have a strong need for an eventful story， that consumes me and keeps me engaged。 I didn't care for the characters and the decisions they made。 There were so many sex scenes， I felt like I was reading Fifty Shades at times。 They just felt like scene fillers to me and I eventually got pretty fed up of them。The arrangement of the timelines was sometimes difficult to follow on the audiobook， but that just might be something I have difficulty with。 。。。more
Pietro
，
Thanks to the publisher for this ARC！ This is a novel that you will continue to think about long after you've finished reading it。 I wasn't sure what to make of these characters at first， and I was halfway through before I felt that I had a handle on who they were and what was really going on。 The shifting timeline will keep you on your toes！ Most of the characters are at least somewhat unlikeable， but they are realistic， by and large。 The protagonist spends most of her life wondering if she is Thanks to the publisher for this ARC！ This is a novel that you will continue to think about long after you've finished reading it。 I wasn't sure what to make of these characters at first， and I was halfway through before I felt that I had a handle on who they were and what was really going on。 The shifting timeline will keep you on your toes！ Most of the characters are at least somewhat unlikeable， but they are realistic， by and large。 The protagonist spends most of her life wondering if she is doing/has done the right thing （about many different things）。 And， did she？ Well， I definitely don't agree with one major decision， but altogether it is a book that will make you think about how people act--and react--in a variety of circumstances。 If you are looking for a summer read that is set at the beach， but not your typical "beach read" （i。e。 light and fluffy）， this thoughtful novel is for you。 。。。more
Jayne Scott
，
As the story flips back and forth from the present to Elle’s childhood， I gained a deeper understanding of her whole being， to the point where I feel almost washed out by her experiences。 An intense and creative mix of characters crafted with immense power of human emotions in a vivid， evocative setting which all my senses shared。
Bonnie Brody
，
The Paper Palace by Miranda Heller is one hell of a book; literary fiction written with subtlety， poignancy， and emotional depth。 The book is about two main protagonists， Elle and Jonas， who have known and loved each other since childhood。 Jonas is younger than Elle so when she was a child Elle didn't take his love in a romantic or intimate way。 As they grew up， their friendship continued but both married other people。 Despite this， there is always a chemical and physical attraction between the The Paper Palace by Miranda Heller is one hell of a book; literary fiction written with subtlety， poignancy， and emotional depth。 The book is about two main protagonists， Elle and Jonas， who have known and loved each other since childhood。 Jonas is younger than Elle so when she was a child Elle didn't take his love in a romantic or intimate way。 As they grew up， their friendship continued but both married other people。 Despite this， there is always a chemical and physical attraction between the two。 In fact， the book opens with Elle and Jonas having sex outside while their spouses lie in a drunken stupor inside。 This is the first time Elle has been unfaithful and it rocks her world because of her feelings for Jonas。The novel travels back and forth in time， exploring Elle's dysfunctional family and history of abuse。 Despite Elle's attempts to get help， to tell her mother， she is left on her own by a flighty and self-centered mother。The novel is also a mystery as Elle and Jonas continue their affair while Elle is still in love with her husband Peter。 What will Elle do， and does Jonas reciprocate her intense desire？ The answers open slowly over time and it isn't till the end that the novel provides the reader with answers。 。。。more
Robert
，
Came highly recommended by a colleague - did not disappoint！
Ashley
，
Brilliantly written。 Can’t recommend enough for the summer！ Great read。
Cynthia
，
Started off well， but midway through the story went off in a direction that I didn’t want to read about。
Susie | Novel Visits
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Loved！ Review to follow。
Ruth
，
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy。 This novel falls into my favourite category， a good story well told。 The Paper Palace of the title is the ironic name for a long-standing ramshackle family summer retreat on Cape Cod， and the story is mostly set here over the course of a woman’s half-century。 It’s a tale steeped in summer， which expertly explores the ramifications of our choices in life and love。As they do every summer， Elle， her husband of 20 years Peter， th With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy。 This novel falls into my favourite category， a good story well told。 The Paper Palace of the title is the ironic name for a long-standing ramshackle family summer retreat on Cape Cod， and the story is mostly set here over the course of a woman’s half-century。 It’s a tale steeped in summer， which expertly explores the ramifications of our choices in life and love。As they do every summer， Elle， her husband of 20 years Peter， their three children and her mother retreat to the Cape for the summer， along with the other families with houses there。 Amongst these is Lucas， her childhood friend， also with a family of his own。 A long-deferred pent-up sexual encounter between Elle and Lucas sets the scene for an agonising decision by Elle about her future， with the back story of how she came to be married to Peter rather than Lucas slowly revealed during the course of the book。 The author lifts the lid on dysfunctional families， on what people will do in order to survive， and on the enduring consequences of every decision we make。 Much of the emotional impact of this tale is quite harrowing， but all too real and imaginable， even for those of us lucky enough not to have lived through similar situations of fragmented families， illness or abuse。 And in amongst the sorrow and trauma， the author is excellent at conveying how people can compartmentalise this and still find contentment and even happiness。The complexity of a life is extremely well conveyed， in a novel that is not a difficult or depressing read despite the darkness at its heart。 The characters and relationships feel very real， satisfyingly and realistically complex， and there is no neat happy ending but nevertheless， the promise of hope。 This is a grown-up， well-constructed read。 。。。more
Nimalee Ravi
，
This is a beautifully written debut story about love， secrets and choices made by the characters。 I loved the writing style and found it easy to follow the storyline。 Definitely recommend this。
ShanKL （ShopCoffeeKids - Instagram）
，
The Paper Palace is a stunning debut novel。 Miranda Cowley Heller has written a beautifully vivid story about love， secrets and sacrifice spanning 50 years of Elle's family， from NYC to their Paper Palace on Cape Cod。 Elle's present story is interwoven with the past， and we get a glimpse of what she has experienced over a 24-hour period。 Who does she truly love - a husband of twenty years or her childhood friend。 I'm torn on the ending whether I believe Elle truly made a decision rather did she The Paper Palace is a stunning debut novel。 Miranda Cowley Heller has written a beautifully vivid story about love， secrets and sacrifice spanning 50 years of Elle's family， from NYC to their Paper Palace on Cape Cod。 Elle's present story is interwoven with the past， and we get a glimpse of what she has experienced over a 24-hour period。 Who does she truly love - a husband of twenty years or her childhood friend。 I'm torn on the ending whether I believe Elle truly made a decision rather did she pick both， Jonas and Peter's love whether out in the open or secretly。 She still never told her husband the truth about her past。 Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the complimentary copy for an honest review。 。。。more
Amy
，
The Paper Palace of this book’s title is a run-down but beloved cabin in the back-woods of Maine， part of a complex of cabins which form the backdrop of much of the story。 In the beginning of the novel， Elle and her childhood friend， Jonas， steal away from a gathering of family and friends to have sex， and the present-day part of the story， proceeds from the following morning， with flash-backs to Elle’s childhood， her mother’s childhood， her grandparents， as we slowly learn about the dysfunction The Paper Palace of this book’s title is a run-down but beloved cabin in the back-woods of Maine， part of a complex of cabins which form the backdrop of much of the story。 In the beginning of the novel， Elle and her childhood friend， Jonas， steal away from a gathering of family and friends to have sex， and the present-day part of the story， proceeds from the following morning， with flash-backs to Elle’s childhood， her mother’s childhood， her grandparents， as we slowly learn about the dysfunction of this family， the secrets they all carry， the history of the Paper Palace， and how Elle and Jonas have come to betray their spouses and children in such a seemingly self-centered and reckless way。 This is a story about wounds， about secrets， about communication， or the lack of it; it is smartly written and compellingly readable。 。。。more
Tara Weiss
，
There's a craftsmanship to the opening of The Paper Palace where the precise selection of each word reveals a rich setting， so detailed in its description of the Back Woods。 I imagine Miranda Cowley Heller writing and rewriting the enviably beautiful prose to perfection。 But then the switch is flipped and the slash of a single word takes the reader from the dawn of a summer day to the memory of the night before。 And it hooks you。 You need to know more。 Revealed through a single day - from dawn t There's a craftsmanship to the opening of The Paper Palace where the precise selection of each word reveals a rich setting， so detailed in its description of the Back Woods。 I imagine Miranda Cowley Heller writing and rewriting the enviably beautiful prose to perfection。 But then the switch is flipped and the slash of a single word takes the reader from the dawn of a summer day to the memory of the night before。 And it hooks you。 You need to know more。 Revealed through a single day - from dawn to dawn - Elle Bishop's life is told in vignettes from her childhood - her parent's many dysfunctional relationships， growing up in New York， her summers at the family compound， the place where all the roads of her life lead。 The place where she met her first love， Jonas。 The place where she takes her husband， Peter， and their children each summer。 The place where her life pivoted in a way from which there's no smoothing over of the wrinkle that alters the course of everything else that will ever happen。 A perfect book club selection， The Paper Palace begs for discussion。 First love， safety， women's rights， parental responsibility - poignant topics that cut to the core before begging the reader's swirling mind to dig deeper。 The full circle ending is not so much as a completed shape， but more of a spiral that will draw you in， over and over again。ARC from Netgalley。 。。。more
Meira Richman
，
The Paper Palace is going to be a 'love it or hate it' for a lot of people。 For me there are two main reasons why it wasn't 'love it'。 Let me start with what I liked about it though。 Luscious language paints the gorgeous backdrop of Cape Cod for most of the story and that at least was enjoyable。 That and I liked the concept of a 24 hour period running parallel to the MC's past catching up to that day。 So why didn't I love it？ The first reason is that I just couldn't look past the pacing being so The Paper Palace is going to be a 'love it or hate it' for a lot of people。 For me there are two main reasons why it wasn't 'love it'。 Let me start with what I liked about it though。 Luscious language paints the gorgeous backdrop of Cape Cod for most of the story and that at least was enjoyable。 That and I liked the concept of a 24 hour period running parallel to the MC's past catching up to that day。 So why didn't I love it？ The first reason is that I just couldn't look past the pacing being so off。 For me the first half was just dreadfully slow to the point that I put the book down for a couple of months before reluctantly picking it up again。 The second reason is the vulgarity and explicitly of some very uncomfortable details。 I honestly wish publishers would start putting trigger warnings on their books。 This book had almost every trigger warning i could think of， I am not going to list them all， but if you are sensitive like me then you might want to avoid reading this book。 Otherwise it was alright。 2。5 stars。 。。。more
Scarlett Sangster
，
‘The Paper Palace’ is a constant backdrop in Elle’s life。 A run down holiday home resting on the shore of one of Cape Cod’s unspoilt ponds， it is where she spent her summers growing up。 Where she had her first kiss， found her first love and where she now takes her own children in the summer months。 But there is something darker lurking in the waters of Elle’s past。 Something that tore her life apart， but that even after years of burying her guilt and shame， she still cannot share， not even with ‘The Paper Palace’ is a constant backdrop in Elle’s life。 A run down holiday home resting on the shore of one of Cape Cod’s unspoilt ponds， it is where she spent her summers growing up。 Where she had her first kiss， found her first love and where she now takes her own children in the summer months。 But there is something darker lurking in the waters of Elle’s past。 Something that tore her life apart， but that even after years of burying her guilt and shame， she still cannot share， not even with her husband。Over 24 hours we watch Elle’s life unfold， as she prepares for a decision that could change her life forever。 The decision to take back what she lost， or to keep living the beautiful lie she spent so long constructing。 A family drama， a forbidden love story， a childhood tragedy。 The Paper Palace is stunning literary debut that will eat you up and leave you reeling。 I didn’t want it to end。 。。。more
Ebby
，
**Thank you to NetGalley/PRH for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book。**I was so ready to give this book 5 stars until the end。 It's so well-written， and as a Massachusetts girl myself， I could see the descriptions of Cape Cod so vividly and really understood how special the Paper Palace was to Elle。Overall， the book was phenomenal。 Descriptive， haunting， real， terrible， and beautiful。 Lots and lots of trigger warnings for rape （view spoiler）[ as the incident at the core of the book is a very **Thank you to NetGalley/PRH for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book。**I was so ready to give this book 5 stars until the end。 It's so well-written， and as a Massachusetts girl myself， I could see the descriptions of Cape Cod so vividly and really understood how special the Paper Palace was to Elle。Overall， the book was phenomenal。 Descriptive， haunting， real， terrible， and beautiful。 Lots and lots of trigger warnings for rape （view spoiler）[ as the incident at the core of the book is a very traumatic string of sexual abuse/rape （hide spoiler）]。 At the beginning of the book， I was wondering why the reader needed so much background/context about Elle's life， and though I still think it wasn't all 100% necessary， I did enjoy it and thought it led to Elle being an exceptionally well-developed character。（view spoiler）[ I did have a burning question that I never got the answer to: Did Elle make it to Anna's deathbed in time？ Did she tell her the truth of what happened with Conrad？ I really wanted to know what happened in the last moments between the two sisters。 I also really loved Elle's relationship with Jonas and felt like the ending between them fell flat。 The book contained so much rich detail at the beginning about her life as a child， and then the most important part of the novel was condensed and ended so quickly。 I understand that she "chose" Peter， but the ambiguity didn't work for me。 Obviously， she will see Jonas again， and her feelings for him haven't gone away。 Will anything happen between them again？ Is their story really over？ （hide spoiler）]I have a lot of questions and disappointment about the ending， but I'm still giving this book 4 stars as I read it in less than three days。 One good thing about ambiguous endings is that I can give the characters whatever ending I want in my head！ 4 stars to Miranda Cowley for making me care about these characters so much！！ 。。。more
Jesika
，
This is a book for those who appreciate long books about character's interactions with each other being the sole focus。I do enjoy those books， and there were parts of this narrative that soared。 The writing， particularly around the memories of youth， is at times beautiful， full of a hazzy atmosphere and something akin to nostalgia。Which I think is what so made this book one that I found jarring - because it will then suddenly be harsher prose， something entirely less literary than it is elsewher This is a book for those who appreciate long books about character's interactions with each other being the sole focus。I do enjoy those books， and there were parts of this narrative that soared。 The writing， particularly around the memories of youth， is at times beautiful， full of a hazzy atmosphere and something akin to nostalgia。Which I think is what so made this book one that I found jarring - because it will then suddenly be harsher prose， something entirely less literary than it is elsewhere and at times needlessly and purposefully shocking with its causal sexual violence。 Overall， I would be excited to read more by this author， I just found that there were parts of this book I loved and parts that made me want to stop reading and I struggled to balance those out。 。。。more
m knight
，
I had the good fortune to read this pre published and the writing blew my mind。 An atonishing piece of literary fiction。 The fact that it’s a first novel makes it even more incredible。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Paper Palace
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Paper Palace&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Paper Palace&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0