The Wedding People

 Alison Espach

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Initial Impression
This book won the Goodreads Choice Award for readers’ favorite fiction last year, so I was very curious to see how it measured up for me—especially since many of my friends had given it high ratings and glowing reviews. I went into it with high expectations, which is normal when the hype is really big.

Summary
Phoebe Stone arrives at the Cornwall Inn, a nineteenth-century Newport hotel, having left St. Louis and everything behind—the husband, the house, and the luggage after her divorce. Her true purpose for being there is to end her life by suicide that evening, viewing the hotel as her happy place for this final act.

Upon her arrival, she is immediately swept into the unfolding preparations for a wedding, realizing the hotel is teeming with "wedding people." A striking encounter with the bride, Lila, in the elevator leads Phoebe to reveal her intention to die.

However, Lila's distress over the prospect of a suicide during her wedding week inadvertently begins to pull Phoebe back from the brink. Phoebe later has a significant encounter with Gary, the groom, in the hot tub, where she reiterates her suicide plan but also admits that she has decided not to go through with it. This moment creates an unexpected connection between them, fostering a sense of being "alive" and seen.

When Lila’s original maid of honor is unable to attend, Phoebe steps into the role, further immersing herself in the wedding events. Through conversations and shared vulnerabilities, Phoebe eventually helps Lila to realize something important and take a very daring step that changes everything.

Characters
The author did an excellent job with the characters. The story features a diverse cast of characters, each contributing to Phoebe Stone's journey of self-discovery and the unfolding events of the wedding week.

Phoebe Stone: The main protagonist of the story. The book is narrated from a third-person perspective, but the narration has a strong focus on Phoebe’s internal thoughts, feelings, and observations. To be frank, due to the character’s name, Lisa Kudrow was all the time in my mind while reading this book. She was Phoebe for me! Phoebe is struggling with many problems, like divorce, infertility, and several miscarriages. When she comes to the hotel, she is full of burdens. However, this trip transforms her life in a way she didn’t expect—leading her to unexpected connections.

Lila: She is the bride, and her wedding is the central event. While on the surface she is beautiful and almost perfect, underneath she also has her own struggles. She faces lots of pressure to be the special person she is not.

Gary: He is the groom and a gastroenterologist who is older than Lila. He is a widower whose first wife, Wendy, died of cancer. He has a daughter, too. Gary is portrayed as a kind, sincere, and perceptive man who has learned to prioritize making others happy after Wendy's death, often suppressing his own feelings.

Matt: Phoebe's ex-husband, a philosopher and professor. He had an affair with Mia. Matt is initially portrayed as distant and uncaring about Phoebe's struggles. However, he becomes deeply concerned when Phoebe disappears and eventually decides to do something about it.

Jim: Gary's brother-in-law, an engineer. He was very close to his sister, Wendy, and was deeply affected by her death. He plays an important role in the story.

Marla: Gary's sister, a lawyer and mayor. She is often critical and judgmental, particularly towards Lila and her choices. I found her to be unintentionally funny due to the absurd remarks and statements she kept making.

Writing Style
Being the first book I read by Alison Espach, I had no idea how the writing would be, so I had no expectations there. The author used the third-person style of narration to focus on Phoebe’s emotions and feelings. To me, the writing was more in line with Phoebe’s internal voice—analytical and quite self-deprecating. When you read the book, you will definitely experience a blend of wit, cynicism, and frankness. It serves the story very well.

Setting and Atmosphere
The Cornwall Inn, a nineteenth-century Newport hotel—a grand, historic location—serves as a central stage for the unfolding events. The initial atmosphere you will feel when you start the book is more about despair, since the main character is trying to attempt suicide. There is heavy isolation and the presence of the wedding and wedding people creates an overwhelming feeling of chaos (in Phoebe’s perspective). Soon, that atmosphere changes to hope, connection, and self-discovery. So the reader will feel a contrast and a shift in the atmosphere clearly.

Overall Impression
The Wedding People is basically an insightful journey through the mind of its protagonist, making it an engaging read worthy of a strong four-star rating. I liked the characters and the atmosphere of the book. I feel it is a book that many readers can have a good time with. Although it appears to be a simple story on the surface, it has an underlying depth to it. Why was this not a 5-star read? Maybe I expected more? Or perhaps the hype felt a lot more than what was delivered—regardless, I had a good time following Phoebe’s story.

Key Themes

• Lonliness
• Isolation
• Divorce
• Infertility
• Wedding
• Hope
• Self-discovery
• Grief
• Self-acceptance
• Reinvention