American author Alison Espach’s third novel deftly combines social commentary and comedy with a moving story about a woman grieving the loss of her marriage. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * American author Alison Espach’s third novel deftly combines social commentary and comedy with a moving story about a woman grieving the loss of her marriage. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? American author Alison Espach’s third novel deftly combines social commentary and comedy with a moving story about a woman grieving the loss of her marriage.
On the surface, looks like a fun chick-lit read. But it quickly unfolds heavy themes such as mental health, grief and identity. The story opens in the present day, as professor Phoebe Stone arrives at a charming Newport, R.
I. hotel wearing a stunning green silk dress with no luggage. The Wedding People She’s immediately mistaken as one of the “wedding people” staying at the hotel for an elaborate six-day wedding celebration.
But actually, Phoebe is the only guest that’s not part of the big event. Once, she wanted to come to this hotel for a romantic vacation with her husband, Matt. Instead, Matt left her.
So, Phoebe’s here alone now, planning to treat herself to a decadent vacation before dying by suicide in the penthouse suite. “This is the only place that feels right: a five-star hotel a thousand miles from home, full of rich strangers who won’t be upset about her death and a staff so well trained that they will simply nod over her corpse and then quietly move her through the service elevator in the morning,” Espach writes. Meanwhile, 28-year-old bridezilla Lila has accounted for every possible disaster, change of plans and unforeseen circumstance — except Phoebe.
But somehow, the women can’t stop confiding in each other. As the week goes on, both start to reevaluate their lives. The story shifts between the present-day wedding events and Phoebe’s memories of her courtship and marriage.
Espach’s prose is easy to read, with snappy dialogue, and the plot moves smoothly in both present-day and Phoebe’s flashbacks. Author Espach debuted as a novelist in 2011 with , a coming-of-age story tackling themes of mental health, suicide and relationships. Clearly Espach is well-versed in these areas and handles them with insight and sensitivity.
She also lightens them with occasional morbid humour. As an example, when Lila tells a joke that makes Phoebe laugh so hard she says “I can’t breathe,” Lila replies, “Isn’t that your goal?” Monday mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Espach also avoids the pitfall common to many chick-lit writers — Jennifer Weiner comes to mind — of making her characters too caricatured or over-the-top to be believable.
While Lila seems at first like a typical spoiled rich girl, Espach teases out deeper layers, showing Lila’s grief over losing her father and surprisingly insightful self-awareness. As Lila tells Phoebe at one point, “I don’t think about what I want, I just worry about what might happen to me and then figure out how to keep those things from happening.” Espach’s novel is a solid story with great messaging.
Kathryne Cardwell is a writer and settler in Treaty One Territory. The Wedding People By Allison Espach Henry Holt and Company, 384 pages, $39 Advertisement Advertisement.
