Phoebe leaves her home in St. Louis with a mission. Upon reaching the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, dressed in a green party dress and without any luggage, the recently divorced and despondent Phoebe intends to check in, enjoy a nice meal, and end her life. While in the lobby, she realizes the wedding of Lila and Gary will be taking place and everyone around her is one of the wedding people. They all assume she is too. When Lila learns of Phoebe's intentions, she tells her that she cannot and will not ruin her million-dollar six-day wedding celebration. This unusual encounter leads to some honest conversations between the two women. As Phoebe gets drawn into Lila's wedding sphere, her people skills and intelligence captivate everyone she comes in contact with. The perfect wedding Lila planned is about to have some surprises.
The Wedding People deals with some very serious subjects such as depression, suicide and infertility. Yet without diminishing them, author Alison Espach has created a tenderhearted and often hilarious story. The character development is excellent, especially the appealing Phoebe, an adjunct college professor specializing in Nineteenth Century Literature and an expert on the novels Jane Eyre and Mrs. Dalloway. She's forty and alone. Lila, the bride, appears to have it all except a genuine friend, while Greg, the somewhat older groom, seems to just be along for the ride. One of my favorite characters was Lila's mother, who comes across as incredibly self-centered but is masking her own sadness. Ultimately, readers will root for every character to find happiness.
Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company for the opportunity to read this exceptionally entertaining book before its release. The early praise it is receiving is well deserved.
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.
Contemporary Fiction.
Publication Date: July 30, 2024.
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