Alison Espach

Life is looking bleak for Phoebe Stone. Her mother died when she was born, she was raised by her depressed father, never progressed further than being an adjunct instructor, IVF has failed, her husband left her for one of his associates, and now her beloved cat has died. She decides to put on an elegant emerald dress that she bought but has never worn, book a room at a high end resort in Newport that she had wanted to go to with her husband, and take her life. At check in, she learns that the entire resort, except for her room, has been taken over by Lila for her million dollar destination wedding.

Initially she is mistaken for one of “the wedding people”. When Lila learns Phoebe’s intentions which will ruin the wedding, she befriends the lonely woman. And thus the reader is off to a rollicking six day visit with “The Wedding People.”

It took a while for me to get into this book, but once I did I found it a witty, satisfying contemporary read. I loved the colorfully, well developed characters and the astute, sometimes painful, often cleverly funny observations of life, family and relationships. Readers will find themselves cheering on Phoebe as she learns a lot about herself and comes into her own.

Incidentally, Tri Star has already acquired the rights to this novel.

Thanks to #netgalley and @henryholtbooks for the DRC.… (plus d'informations)

This coming-of-age novel also encompasses themes such as the meaning of love, the effects of grief and loss, survivors' guilt, and developing a deeper understanding of our parents and the aging process. Katy dies at an early age, but the effects of her death go on for decades.
Some interesting and memorable quotes:
"I was a survivor...I had proof that we were all, in the end, exactly the same, and that anyone who pretends differently is lying.. and thinking of this- made me feel like I could say or do anything." (p.106)
"...now that you were dead, we could say anything we wanted. No swear word was ever going to be as terrible as 'dead'"(p. 111)
"That's what happens when parents die... All of a sudden, you want an answer to every question you never thought to ask them." (p. 321)… (plus d'informations)