The Wedding People

The Wedding People: A Novel
by Alison Espach

Print Length: 384 pages
Format: ebook
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: Family Life Fiction, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Have you ever heard of the term ‘existential crisis’? Many people experience phases in their lives when they deeply question their purpose for being on this planet. When they struggle to find an answer, it can lead to a dark and grim outlook, or it might even inspire them to explore new possibilities for living their lives.

Wedding People by Alison Espach tells the story of Dr. Phoebe Stone, an English professor in her late 30s specializing in Victorian literature. She is a knowledgeable woman with a genuine curiosity about the world around her. Unfortunately, after a decade of marriage and struggles with infertility, her husband leaves her for another woman. Phoebe is left with an empty house, a deceased cat named Henry, and nothing to hold onto except memories. These memories reveal how Phoebe continually made herself smaller and more invisible to be liked by her husband and others, which led her to hate herself more and more. However, life had other plans for her.

Phoebe didn’t think she’d end up being a woman like this. But if the last few years have taught her anything, it’s that you really can’t ever know who you are going to become.

Two years after her divorce, Phoebe decided to end her life at a beautiful hotel, wearing her most stunning green dress and high heels. However, as life often does, it takes an unexpected turn. Upon arriving at the hotel, she finds herself caught up in the atmosphere of a wedding taking place there. This is the story of how the wedding guests comically and profoundly intervene to save her life, ultimately helping Phoebe become the person she is meant to be rather than the facade she had been maintaining.

This book features a wide array of characters, and Allison excels at conveying the emotions of every man and woman presented in the story. It’s no surprise that this book has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Readers’ Favorite Fiction with 4.17/5 ratings—it truly feels authentic. Human beings are often messy, with complicated emotions and actions. Life has a way of lifting you when you allow it to—when you are open to change and can no longer accept the pretense you’ve been maintaining. I also love how the author emphasizes the importance of being your true, authentic self. It’s so easy to get swept away by the expectations of others, leading you to gradually lose sight of who you are. This loss is often the source of unhappiness for many of us. While it takes considerable effort to be truly yourself, it’s all too easy to pretend until reality hits you hard.

I mean, I just lived my life in such a small way… It was too small. I was so convinced there was only one way to live my life.

Throughout the wedding, there are many conversations and moments involving Phoebe, Lila (the bride), Gary (the groom), Matt (Lila’s ex-husband), and various other guests. Each time Phoebe interacts with someone, she learns more about their experiences and gradually realizes how everyone is coping with their grief, sadness, or sense of emptiness. She understands that these struggles are often unique to each individual yet universally felt, and it takes their explanations for her to truly grasp their experiences.

There is no such thing as a happy place. Because when you are happy, everywhere is a happy place. And when you are sad, everywhere is a sad place.

I love this book so much, and I have a deep admiration for Phoebe, a woman who discovers through her journey that life is what we make of it—it shouldn’t be shaped by others to turn us into something we’re not. If you enjoy new adult novels that explore relatable themes of everyday life with a blend of dark humor, drama, and a good dose of hope and inspiration, this should definitely be your next read.

Ratings on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being exceptional):
Quality of writing: 8
Pace: 9
Plot development: 8
Characters: 9
Enjoyability: 9
Insightfulness: 9
Ease of reading: 10
Photo/Illustrations: NA