A Complicated Summer in Cape Cod: Reading 'The Paper Palace'
There’s something about summer novels that pull you in—sun-drenched settings, tangled relationships, and the slow burn of memory. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller delivers all of that and more, wrapped in a story that’s both literary and deeply personal. I picked it up expecting a vacation read and read it before I even got on the plane. I'm still thinking about it weeks later.
Set over the course of a single day but layered with decades of backstory, this novel explores the messy realities of long-standing relationships, childhood wounds, and the choices that define us. It follows a woman named Elle as she wrestles with a life-altering decision—one rooted in both past and present. What makes the story so engrossing is the way it flips between timelines without ever feeling disjointed. You’re invited to witness Elle’s life from childhood to middle age, and Heller’s prose makes each scene feel vivid and lived-in.
The writing is textured and raw. Heller doesn’t shy away from the emotional grit—trauma, desire, loyalty, and betrayal are all in play here—but it never feels melodramatic. Instead, it feels honest. These characters, especially in their flashback moments, feel flawed and real. At times, they’re hard to love, and that’s kind of the point.
If you appreciate character-driven stories with depth, complexity, and a strong sense of place, this one is for you. It's not a breezy read, but it's incredibly absorbing—especially for readers who enjoy fiction that deals with family dynamics, unspoken history, and the quieter tragedies that shape our lives.