To Have and Have Not

I first heard about Miranda Cowley Heller's debut novel, The Paper Palace (2021) a few weeks ago when it was longlisted for the Women's Prize. Reading a brief synopsis, it sounded like it was the story of a love triangle, which didn't really interest me. But then I read a rave review, so I decided to read the first chapter and see if it was worth my time. I am so glad I did as The Paper Palace is a wonderfully engrossing novel. 

Eleanor 'Elle' Bishop seems to have the perfect, privileged life. She is fifty years old, married to a devoted husband, and has three lovely children. She lives in New York but holidays at her family's rustic cottage/camp at Cape Cod, known as the Paper Palace. The book opens with Elle taking an early morning swim on the lake and reflecting on her actions the night before. Last night she had sex with her oldest friend Jonas, while both of their partners were nearby, unaware. Over the next 24 hours, Elle must choose whether to stay with her husband Peter or upend her life to pursue Jonas, her childhood love. In order to understand the choice that Elle eventually makes, the reader is taken back over the past fifty years to learn about Elle's life and her relationship with each man.

The Paper Palace features richly drawn, complex characters. Elle's standoff-ish older sister Anna is hardened by their early life. Their opinionated mother Wallace is a fascinating woman, unlikable yet delightful. Their absent father fails the girls repeatedly, henpecked by his partners. The odious step-brother Conrad and his unobservant father Leo. The uxorious Peter, brooding Jonas and so many more. Elle herself is complicated and contradictory and as the narrator of this tale, her recollections of the past shape her present and the decisions she makes for the future. 

This novel was so much more than it first appeared, shocking the reader with each reveal of family secrets buried deep. There are dark themes in this novel, but each flashback is mercifully short, written in punchy prose.  I was swept away by the story, keen to find out what happened next. The writing is strong, evoking a sense of time and place, especially of the deep woods of the Paper Palace.  I also loved the ending of the story, which I shall not reveal here. 

This is a strong debut by Miranda Cowley Heller and I look forward to seeing what she does next. I am delighted to learn that this novel has been optioned for a TV series.