A review by Amy Welborn
Along with Early Sobrieties and The English Experience, this is probably going to be one of my top reads of the summer. It's such a good book.
Plot:
Phoebe is in her early 40's. Her husband has left her for a colleague, a colleague who has a baby, and Phoebe has, after years of trying and fertility treatments, not been able to have that: a baby. She's also an adjunct professor of English literature whose specialty is the Victorian marriage novel, but who has, after ten years of work, not managed to finish writing a book.
So Phoebe arrives at an inn in Newport, RI, having never seen the ocean (she's from St. Louis), with a goal: in this most beautiful place, a "happy place" of her imagination, she's going to commit suicide.
In her way: the wedding people.
For this inn has been completely booked for a week-long wedding celebration. Completely booked, that is, but for the one room - a penthouse suite, no less - that is open, at $800/night, for Phoebe's intended one-night stay.
It's not spoiling much to tell you that no, Phoebe does not succeed in her goal, and ends up staying the entire week, her stay paid for by Lila, the bride-to-be, who immediately and almost inexplicably befriends Phoebe after an elevator mishap. Perhaps she senses a connection, perhaps she's relieved to have someone to talk (and talk and talk) to who's not in the wedding party, and perhaps she's also determined that this Phoebe person Will.Not. Ruin. Her. Wedding.
But Lila talks without end, without clear transitions from topic to topic, assuming that Phoebe, a total stranger who has already announced multiple times that se wants to die, is interested in hearing every detail about her personal life. Phoebe can't tell if it's the most appalling or most impressive display she's ever witnessed.
...
And so it goes, a sly reworking of the Marriage Plot, surprises, accidental (or not) encounters, repressed feelings, unexpected connections, feeling trapped and finding release from that trap and all. The writing is just so sharp and knowing and it's very, very funny.
At its heart, it's an unexpectedly moving novel about discovering that your life does matter a great deal in ways you might not even know. Whether you live or die? Whether you continue to live in the story or not? What part you play in it? Yeah, it matters. And how do you discover that? Through opening up and moving beyond your own bubble and even your own very real pain to listen and connect with the pain of others, and, most importantly extending compassion towards those others - and perhaps asking on the way - why can't I extend this compassion and grace to myself, as well?
Lila, every day this week, you gave me a reason to get up in the morning, to put on a beautiful dress and be part of something, and for that I will always be grateful.
