The Paper Palace

By: Miranda Cowley Heller

Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2022

A thrilling summertime listen for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing and Little Fires Everywhere

On a perfect August morning, Elle Bishop heads out for a swim in the pond below 'The Paper Palace'—her family's holiday home in Cape Cod. As she dives beneath the water she relives the passionate encounter she had the night before, against the side of the house that knows all her darkest secrets, while her husband and mother chatted to their guests inside....

So begins a story that unfolds over 24 hours and 50 years, as Elle's shocking betrayal leads her to a life-changing decision—and an ending you won't be able to stop thinking about.

©2021 Miranda Cowley Heller (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

It's glorious and gorgeous. I was absolutely immersed and gripped and I'm devastated to have finished it (Marian Keyes)

It's been ages since I was so absorbed in a contemporary novel. I loved it (Nick Hornby)

In rich and sensuous prose, Cowley Heller, cracks open the human heart and exposes her character's choices: the paths not taken and the devastating consequences. I smelled the old cabins and the backwoods, felt the pond water lapping around my ankles, experienced the love and loss of family. A perceptive and powerful story which will stay with me for a long time (Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground)

Easy listening, entertaining

Did not appreciate the narrator who sounded like a robot.
The story was good - I enjoyed the story but considered returning the book due to the narrator...
Great for summer holiday listen.

Love it

Love multilayer story, unveiling of characters history and even the ending (that some appear to criticize).

Enjoyed the story.

Enjoyable story and performance, in spite of the abuse, which unfortunately is so often swept under the carpet in so many cases.

Loved everything about this book!

Beautifully written, a book that sits with you for a while. Love the rich characters and their relationships.

quick summer page turner

am not sure if the characters properly developed. but I enjoyed the production and somewhat troubling content.

Amazing

All I can say is wow! I keep going over it on my head. Revisiting each character over and over again. This book will keep me thinking for a long time. A “real” love story.

Bit depressing

I bought this title because it was a Reese Witherspoon bookclub recommendation, and after how much I loved her recommended: Where the Crawdad Sings, I blindly followed. But this one wasn't my cup of tea, the storyline jumps back and forth through a number of different time periods, which at times was a bit confusing. And I felt some parts where explained in painstaking detail and then others completely swept over. I kept hoping the tone of the book would get a bit happier or lighter as the lead character built a beautiful life for herself, but it didn't. I actually found it all a bit depressing with an unsatisfying end.

Achingly beautiful!

Absolutely magnificent. Loved it and upon finishing it immediately restarted it as I didn't feel like I properly appreciated the beginning. Gorgeous narration.

Wow

A wonderful story full of love and turmoils and laughter. Page turner. Must read. Excellent

Not everyone’s palace to visit

Upto halfway in the second chapter, infedility and affairs already integral to the story, as if just another normal. With this, and the reader’s phrasing, as well as the unanounced jumps in time, one of the few books I stopped listening to, and archived. The descriptive passages are also loose from the text and give the impression of a writing exercise.