The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

“We drag our past behind us like a weight, still shackled but far enough back that we never have to see, never have to openly acknowledge who we once were.”

Where to begin? I connected so closely to the setting and that always takes a book to another level for me. The Cape Cod summer camp was a character in this story and I love a book that makes place part of the narrative. From the Cape to NYC to Vermont and even London the settings are so expertly woven into the novel.

I loved the structure. This is told in dual timelines; the first is present day in 24 hours and the second takes us back in time, all the way to the main character's childhood and carries us through the decades to catch up with the 24 hours -- it was exquisitely crafted. For readers who enjoy novels set in the 70s and 80s, it was a bit like being in a time warp, it is so well done.

I don't know if this is Heller's debut, but wow can she write. Her characters are so believable I felt like I knew ALL of them. Her writing is vividly detailed and I was invested from chapter one and it never let go.

This is Elle’s story and although she is the main character, Heller's secondary characters have equal billing. This is a story about women, of how the generations behave differently, it’s about marriage and sisterhood and how we process the baggage of our childhoods. Ultimately, it is really about how we decide what matters to us.

I ADORED this book, but be forewarned it is very heavy at times - not a light and fluffy summer read. For readers who loved The Most Fun We've Ever Had, Commonwealth and The Prince of Tides here is your next great read.