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The Paper Palace

By: Miranda Cowley Heller
Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
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Publisher's Summary

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

©2021 Miranda Cowley Heller (P)2021 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about The Paper Palace

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

amazing story telling but....

Well written some beautiful characters, it sucked me in at the beginning but overall I found it really depressing.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

A lovely story of connections throughout the years. From friendship, love and lust without the mushy bits. Read beautifully.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

Absolutely loved the story and the way it cut back and forth between time points. There was no guessing the end, yet it finished with a sense of closure

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Loved it

Something a little different, nice story pace, lovely 'real' characters. Very well read. Highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen!

It was a bit triggering to listen to a story about cheating. But the story of how Eleanor got to that place makes more sense once all the pieces of her story come together. You see her humanity and the choices she made based on her life events, and realise it doesn’t just come down to her animal instincts.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great characters

I really enjoyed this and listened to it non-stop for days. However I have some residual feelings about the use of trauma in the narrative. In essence it is a love story. The trauma, and the effects of it, were never well explored or acknowledged, which felt a bit careless. But overall the vivid descriptions and flawed characters were wonderful, and I really did enjoy it. At times the narrator struggled to differentiate which character she was, and I got lost, but it was rare and a minor issue.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Such interesting characters

A fantastic book. Beautifully crafted characters in a fabulous story. Whenever I mentioned what book I was reading to friends, if they had read it, they knew about the beautiful ride I was on.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

An ok listen but not riveting

I feel that had I been reading a physical book I may not have finished it.

Wonderful descriptions of nature, the seasons, the woodland yet I didn't really get entwined in the story as I would have liked.

I felt no empathy for the main character, El, as she seemed somewhat irritating.

When the book ended I wondered what it was all about.

Narration good

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Love Strength & Family

A fantastic listen that was difficult at times due to the subject matter but the ending was thoughtful and told the story of life, love and the decisions we make.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Exquisite

There was nothing I didn’t love about this book.
Written absolutely beautifully, and the narration did it such justice. It’ll forever be a favourite.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.