THE PLOT: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller is a contemporary novel about a woman deciding whether to leave her husband. It’s a gorgeous July morning at a family’s summer home on Cape Cod. But beneath the perfect exterior, no-one knows that a happily married mother-of-three had sex with her male friend last night. Over the next 24 hours, Elle has to decide between life with her adoring husband and her childhood best friend. Going back in time, she contemplates her decisions and the legacies of abuse which got her to this moment.

SUMMARY: This novel was a lot darker than I initially anticipated. With themes of paedophilia, sexual abuse, parental abuse and self-harm, it’s not one for the faint hearted. Although the blurb may seem like a casual love triangle among wealthy Americans, the novel quickly descends into decades of parental and physical abuse, and the marital infidelity at the heart of the book is far more complex and morally grey than it initially appears. So, that being said, it may not have been the best idea to read this on a beach during my honeymoon. However, I still really adored this book and feel like it’s a sensitive and complex portrayal of the impact of sexual abuse. Did I cry on the beach? Yes. But I don’t mind wailing in public at a good book. In fact, emotional trauma is basically my favourite genre of book so I’m giving it 4.5 stars and a high recommendation (as long as you have the tissues ready).

GOOD BITS: I love books about trauma because they delve deep into character psyche and make the reader confront their raw emotions. Morally grey novels, such as this one, allow us to put ourselves in the character’s shoes and contemplate what we would do in similar circumstances. There were so many tragic moments where I wept for Elle and I fully empathised with her story. The novel is so well-structured because I was compelled to keep reading by the central question of whether she would leave her husband, yet I was curious about her past and how she had come to be in this situation. This strong plotting and characterisation coupled with the beautiful, atmospheric writing with lots of descriptions of nature, makes it a perfect upmarket and book club novel.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: This book is divisive. Those who like it, really love it. But those who dislike it, absolutely hate it. Many people seemed to find the proliferation of assault scenes gratuitous and are shocked by the lack of trigger warnings. And while I understand that it’s not their cup of tea, I disagree with one-star reviews from people who stopped reading it due to the amount of sexual assault and “glorification’ of cheating on your spouse. As difficult as it may be to confront, sexual assault is a shockingly common crime and this is a portrayal of difficult yet realistic life experiences. While the poor communication in the novel was frustrating because I was begging for the main character to confide in her sister, unfortunately this is realistic and, for me, it didn’t feel plot convenient (like it may have in the hands of a lesser novelist).

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of Betty by Tiffany McDaniel, My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, and Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason. If you like complex, character-driven books with a truckload of trauma, this is one for you. You can purchase this book (with a discount) and support @aminasbookshelf via my bookshop.org. affiliate link.