The Wedding People
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I was going to lead with some bold statement that this was my favorite book of the year, but it’s barely March lol. Seriously, I was SHOCKED at how much I liked this book. It had so much more depth than I expected and was laugh-out-loud funny even in the face of some dark stuff. The author, Alison Espach, produced an uplifting book with a positive message without being cheesy or sacrificing literary skill.
Spoil-free summary: It takes place at a bougie hotel in Rhode Island during Lila’s extravagant wedding weekend. A woman named Phoebe is a guest at the hotel, and their paths cross in surprising ways. So, it packages conventional wedding tropes in an unexpected premise. Sometimes, an unpredictable ending can feel disengenious– like why did that character make an unnaturally bold choice? Not here. We witness Phoebe’s evolution through the book, and while certain plot points seem outlandish out of context, they make sense given her trajectory. Her boldness was believable. I genuinely had no idea how it would end, and the character development was set up in such a way that I would have been satisfied with multiple versions. I was just happy to see how it played out for my people.
Phoebe is a nuanced character worth reading about, but a lil bonus is that she’s an adjunct professor specializing in Victorian-era literature. Don’t be dismayed if that’s not your thing– it’s not overly pushed– but I enjoyed the literary references, especially the nods toward Virginia Woolf. It gave a window into how wedding culture has changed over the Eras, and while that might seem like duh, it was a useful framework for thinking about Lila’s wedding-related decisions from a more zoomed-out view.
The Wedding People is a true 5 out of 5 flamer. It’s very philosophical, exploring what it means to have agency over your life and find happiness for yourself, without being in your face about it and making you roll your eyes. The dialogue is realistic and witty without being overly polished. You can really feel the connections blossom, both in romantic and friendship form, without seeming contrived. Such a great book no matter how you slice it- definitely recommend, especially in a book club setting!
