The Paper Palace

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What to expect

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

Critics Review

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
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
Daily Mirror
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
Independent
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

User Reviews

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Regretfully it was impossible for me to get into the story due to the irritating voice of the narrator as much as her intonation and accent.
I'm new to audio books & I've realized that my appreciation of the story depends as much on the narration as the narrative.
To avoid this in the future I might only chose X books until there's the option to switch from 'audio' to 'read' for all the books on XigXag.
Mel J 26/09/2025

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