Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion

Some of us are planning to read The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller in March.



We will start reading on March 18, though this date is subject to change.

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.

Everyone is welcome to join, just leave a comment below to let us know you'll be reading with us. Please remember to use spoiler tags when discussing.

I will join in for this read in March! Looking forward to it!

Glad to have you with us Heather!

Can't wait for this one!

Joining!

My hold came in from the library. I will be doing this one on audible.
I am ready for a March 18 start.
Everyone else still good to go?

I’m still waiting on this one from the library but should have it next week! I will catch up!

Yes march 18th it is!

I started this one on audible, but only got about 4 chapters in.


Spoilers End of Chap 4
So far it isn't what I expected (view spoiler)[there is beautiful descriptions and language that I can really picture the setting, but then some super explicit thing is said and I am like "whaaaat ?!"

The event was put out there quickly and now we are going back to different points in time to see how she got to this point.

So far, I am enjoying finding out the backstories of the characters.

I really dislike the MC's mother - but then I heard her backstory and that was super awful, so no wonder she is awful. (hide spoiler)]

I'm at chapter 4 too... You must be further along now. I was so shocked about (view spoiler)[the MC's mother and her father in law. I was almost falling asleep while reading and it kind of woke me up. A "what did I just read??" moment!

And her sister "drowning"...

I don't have much empathy for the main character so far and I don't know yet about the book. We'll see...
(hide spoiler)]

Yep Savanes - that def woke me up too.

I am at the End of Chapter 13.
(view spoiler)[
The beach scene - Another wake you up moment!

I don't pity her either. The characters are all very interesting though.
I also like the setting. It is almost like a character itself.

For some reason this one feels like a memoir to me. The way it is written.

I am on audible and the narrator is good, but I am having to pay attention to which timeline is happening. There are 4 generations of people and three different periods of time. I have gotten confused a few times. (hide spoiler)]

Vicki Willis wrote: "Yep Savanes - that def woke me up too.

I am at the End of Chapter 13.

The beach scene - Another wake you up moment!

I don't pity her either. The characters are all very interesting though.
..."

I can't read your spoiler but do you like the book so far?

I wasn't too sure about it at first, but it has gotten dark and twisted and I can't imagine where this is going.
How far have you gotten and what do you think?

End of 14

The build up is killing me as to what (view spoiler)[ the mysterious event was that tore apart Elle and Jonas.
I am thinking they killed Conrad or something with that whole situation?? (hide spoiler)]

Vicki Willis wrote: "I wasn't too sure about it at first, but it has gotten dark and twisted and I can't imagine where this is going.
How far have you gotten and what do you think?"

Not very far, chapter 6... I think I'm going to switch to audio. I'm too tired at night for this book so I read 3 pages and fall asleep. :(

Vicki Willis wrote: "The build up is killing me as to what
When can I read this spoiler?

Savanes wrote: "Vicki Willis wrote: "The build up is killing me as to what
When can I read this spoiler?"

Edited post for spoiler point

Savanes wrote: "Vicki Willis wrote: "I wasn't too sure about it at first, but it has gotten dark and twisted and I can't imagine where this is going.
How far have you gotten and what do you think?"

Not very far, ..."

I like the audio version.

End of part 2
This whole book is uncomfortable.
Very different than expected.

I am at the end of Chap 24

I am listening to it on audible from the library and it is expiring today! I can't keep it because others are waiting for it. so I put myself back on the hold list. I am 43rd.
BUT where I live we have the city and county library systems, so I put another hold with the county and it says 2 days.

How are you guys finding this one?

Spoiler for the end of Chap. 24
I am at the part where: (view spoiler)[She just met up with Jonas again after 7 years and they had the discussion about the ring.

I was surprised when her mom read her journal and thought it was Leo, not Conrad that raped her.
And about the part that she didn't tell Peter about it, let him think she was a virgin - which makes me assume he doesn't know about the drowning either.

She has a way of writing where something happens, but then it cuts away to another time and then that thing is circled back around and you find out more. I am not sure if I like it or it is bothering me.
But this book is seeming really long. Maybe because it really only takes place over one day in the present? (hide spoiler)]

Ok
I got it back from the library and finished it.

Let me know when you finish - I want to discuss the ending.
(view spoiler)[ was that her making a choice at the end by taking off her wedding ring?
Did her husband actually chose by not getting up for a swim?
Did I hear that right? (hide spoiler)]

I'm at chapter 23... waiting to read your previous spoiler...