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The Paper Palace

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The Paper Palace

By: Miranda Cowley Heller
Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

2 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2022

A PAGE-TURNING SUMMERTIME READ 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 twenty-four hours and fifty 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.

'A deeply emotional love story that follows one day in the life of Elle Bishop as she navigates the unravelling of secrets, lies and a very complex love triangle' REESE WITHERSPOON

'Glorious and gorgeous. I was absolutely immersed and gripped and I'm devastated to have finished it' MARIAN KEYES

'Here is a love triangle that keeps you turning the pages' Rachel Joyce

'Utterly addictive' Rosamund Lupton

'Dry, sharp and with devastating depths plumbed so elegantly' Pandora Sykes

'Smart, atmospheric and seriously juicy' Stylist

'Earthy, intoxicating, shimmering' Sunday Times

© Miranda Cowley Heller 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

A deeply emotional love story that follows one day in the life of Elle Bishop as she navigates the unravelling of secrets, lies and a very complex love triangle
It's glorious and gorgeous. I was absolutely immersed and gripped and I'm devastated to have finished it (Marian Keyes)
This accomplished family saga is gripping and poetic, capturing the complexity of the human heart
A family drama, a forbidden love story, a childhood tragedy, The Paper Palace is a stunning literary debut that will eat you up and leave you reeling - you won't want it to end
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)
Tightly woven and immediate, The Paper Palace takes us deep into a vivid summer landscape, a family, and a private, longstanding love story, and holds us there from start to finish (Meg Wolitzer, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife and The Female Persuasion)
I can't think of a more brilliant debut than The Paper Palace. Enticing, assured and multi-layered, it introduces a major new voice in American fiction . . . A marvel (Cressida Connolly)
Absolutely phenomenal novel - dazzling writing and utterly addictive. Read it (Rosamund Lupton)
It felt as if I read The Paper Palace in one go. It was completely immersive, and shocking, and utterly alive. I loved it (Nina Stibbe)
All stars
Most relevant
Well written some beautiful characters, it sucked me in at the beginning but overall I found it really depressing.

amazing story telling but....

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A lovely story of connections throughout the years. From friendship, love and lust without the mushy bits. Read beautifully.

Captivating

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Absolutely loved the story and the way it cut back and forth between time points. There was no guessing the end, yet it finished with a sense of closure

Brilliant

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Something a little different, nice story pace, lovely 'real' characters. Very well read. Highly recommend.

Loved it

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It was a bit triggering to listen to a story about cheating. But the story of how Eleanor got to that place makes more sense once all the pieces of her story come together. You see her humanity and the choices she made based on her life events, and realise it doesn’t just come down to her animal instincts.

Great listen!

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