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The Wedding People: A Novel
by Alison Espach, Helen Laser
Published
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Pages
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Language
English
Publisher
Macmillan Audio
Available Formats & Prices
View on AmazonKindle
$14.99
Hardcover
$20.63
Audiobook
$17.71
Audio CD
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About This Book
As narrator, the terrific Laser, an actress and puppeteer, only enhances the swoon-worthy quirks and romance."— Vulture A Today Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew. It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event.
Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other. In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.
Introduction
At the heart of a sprawling estate lies an unprecedented wedding that promises to be the event of a lifetime. The Wedding People: A Novel unravels the multilayered relationships of diverse characters brought together by the ceremonial bonds of matrimony. As secrets surface and hearts collide, the wedding becomes a backdrop for revelations and a conduit for unexpected transformations.
Key Takeaways
Explores the complexity and diversity of human relationships within a wedding setting. Captures the transformative power of secrets to redefine individual destinies. Highlights the joy and chaos that weddings inherently bring to everyone's lives.
Detailed Description
Set in a picturesque estate The Wedding People: A Novel centers around a wedding that serves as a catalyst for personal revelations. As guests arrive each character brings a story weaving a tapestry of love regret and hope against the grandeur of the celebration. Each character in the novel navigates their own tumultuous path to the wedding aisle confronting deeply buried secrets that demand resolution.
These secrets are potent forces altering destinies and testing the limits of family bonds as the event progresses. With humor and grace the novel paints detailed portraits of love’s unpredictable nature where every choice echoes through the corridors of time. Old flames reignite and new bonds form as attendees learn more about themselves and each other.
As the wedding reaches its crescendo the boundaries between past and present blur challenging how characters perceive themselves. What emerges is a collective reshaping where love takes unexpected forms and lives are forever changed. With each page the novel invites readers to reflect on their own relationships urging them to ponder the truths hidden beneath the surface and the transformative power of love.
Standout Features
The Wedding People stands out through its masterful storytelling, intertwining humor and poignant moments, capturing the essence of love's unpredictable dance amidst life's complexities. The novel’s rich tapestry of characters offers depth and dimension, showcasing a range of cultural backgrounds that reflect the beauty and chaos of a diverse world. Its ability to seamlessly blend multiple narratives within a single setting, while maintaining focus on individual journeys, makes it both engaging and thought-provoking for readers seeking a meaningful experience.
Book Details
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Rating
Based on 8285 ratings
Customer Reviews
Fun, light read
Enjoyed the characters and the messages in this story. Easy read. Very entertaining. Almost predictable. Recommend for a summer read.
The Wedding People
Well, this book makes you want to attend a wedding, a week long, extravagant wedding. I absolutely am in love with these characters, especially Phoebe, who really knows how to crash a wedding, and walk away with a new life beginning that makes you happy just to be alive yourself and glad that you let her become your new friend for ever. This novel is funny, smart, and has well written dialogue that moves at a great pace. Frankly, as a reader, I feel like I was there. After all, isn’t that what we so hope for in every novel. I highly recommend this book. Do yourself a favor and read The Wedding People.
Unexpectedly funny
Great writing style. Even the side characters had interesting backgrounds and communication challenges. The first half was the best part: unpredictable, quirky. As the story developed and the main characters became more complex, the plot became more predictable. Although the overall development and story was extremely pleasing, the relationship development well done, missed the element of surprise that was so well done in the beginning. Overall, great read. Thank you!
A fun story, light read
This book is a well-written journey of a woman's self-realization. I enjoyed all the characters and interwoven stories. Having spent so much time in Rhode Island, I enjoyed all the references to familiar places: there really is a clam shake with water levels reached during hurricanes painted on the side of the building!
Just okay
If Espach intended to write a story about superficial, self-absorbed women then she succeeded. As far as characterization she did a great job. However, who wants to read a story about women like that? The plot is silly and peppered with “me,me,me” and “whine, whine, whine” with too many f bombs. It’s okay for a light read but not for me. But reading tastes vary so this is only my opinion.
One of the most enjoyable, relatable, introspective, and funny books I’ve read in a long time.
I absolutely loved “The Wedding People!” One of the most enjoyable, relatable, introspective, and funny books I’ve read in a long time. This is one of those rare book I will re-read! The story centers around Phoebe Stone, an adjunct literature professor, who is recently divorced after a long battle with infertility. She comes to a crisis point after her cat passes away, and decides she wants to die. She books a one way plane ticket a one night in a hotel she’s always dreamed of staying in, so she can end her life in “her happy place.” There she immediately runs into a large wedding party, and a bride who needs a confident… This book was absolutely captivating; it’s funny, emotional, and pulls you right into the story. In many parts I laughed out loud. The author did a wonder job capturing the complex nature of friendship, marriage, and family dynamics, the family we imagine for ourselves, who we are vs who we want to be, and how our hopes and dreams shape our identity. I listened to the Audiobook, narrated by Helen Laser, and provided by MacMillan Audio through NetGalley. The narrator did an excellent job; there minor are some issues with sound quality/ consistency, but it doesn’t detract from the book. Many thanks for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.
Great read - not for summer
The novel is powerful and so moving, but the first 1/3 or so is very dark deep. Definitely worth reading! But maybe not a beach read.
What a delightful read!
I loved each of the well-drawn characters, and the number of lines that are real gems is impressive. A unique plot that never sags. An easy, satisfying read that makes this one of my favorite books of the year. If you're on the fence about it, I say just dive in. You'll be glad you did.
