Marianne’s Pick of the Week: The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Sometimes a book just evokes a visceral reaction.  The Wedding People by Alison Espach was that book for me.  I picked up this book thinking I’d get a light, breezy read and got a whole lot more than I expected.

Phoebe Stone, in a fabulous dress and heels, checks into Newport, Rhode Island’s Grand Cornwall Inn fully intending to end her life. The pandemic, a going nowhere job, multiple failed rounds of IVF, the death of her twelve-year-old cat, and a divorce has left her with nothing.  She is mistaken for a guest at a high society wedding being held there that week.  Phoebe and the bride meet cute and through a series of events become, I guess you could say, friends. Our bride, Lila, wants nothing more than THE dream wedding with all the fashion, spectacle, and high-profile guests of a true society wedding.  Phoebe, with a new attitude toward life, is the ultimate truth-teller and Lila, with all the friends in the world, finds that the only person she can confide in is Phoebe.

Initially, it’s easy to dismiss both Phoebe and Lila. They seem shallow and self-absorbed. But as we get to know them and dig into their lives, we realize that like all of us they are layered and deeply feeling.  Both were so busy planning their lives that they forgot to live their lives; to be present; to fully live the moments. As our story weaves it way through the wedding week events we are introduced to a fascinating cast of characters. Each character (the Groom, his daughter, the Best Man and the Mother of the Bride) turns out to be more than they seem. I was reminded of the need to be kind. We never know what someone else is living.

This novel had the humor and wisdom of Steven Rowley’s The Guncle and the social commentary of Lily King’s Lovers and Writers . I was reminded me to be honest with myself and others. I finished this book promising myself to be me; to live my life.  Good advice for everyone.