July '21 Pick

Paper Palace

Miranda Cowley Heller

This house, this place, knows all my secrets.” A story of summer, secrets, love, and lies: in the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a...

Paper Palace

This house, this place, knows all my secrets.” A story of summer, secrets, love, and lies: in the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades. 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.

From Our Book Lover-In-Chief

Are you ready for a great summer read?

Our July @Reese’sBookClub pick, The Paper Palace is a deeply emotional love story that follows one day in the life of Elle Bishop as she navigates the unraveling of secrets, lies and a very complex love triangle between her childhood best friend and her husband. I was totally immersed in the fast-paced narrative that seamlessly wove together past & present. And ALL the beautiful details in this book are enough to pull at your heartstrings… every sentence is SO vivid and luxurious you feel like you’re transported to a lakeside retreat in Cape Cod with a family you have known forever. I think you will love this one ! Pick up a copy and follow along at @reesesbookclub! *Trigger Warning: Please note that this book contains sexual assault and these scenes are referenced frequently throughout the story

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FROM THE AUTHOR

Miranda Cowley Heller

Miranda Cowley Heller has worked as senior vice president and head of drama series at HBO, developing and overseeing such shows as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Deadwood, and Big Love, among others. The Paper Palace is her first novel. She grew up spending summers on Cape Cod, and now lives in California.

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Book
Themes

Caution Violence and Abuse
Family Drama
Pick A Side
Sensory Overload


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