The Wedding People

A Novel

By: Alison Espach

Narrated by: Helen Laser

"As narrator, the terrific Laser, an actress and puppeteer, only enhances the swoon-worthy quirks and romance." —Vulture

A Today show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick, A Goodreads Choice Awards 2024 Winner, and long-listed in many Best of the Year 2024 picks!

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

Outstanding!

I read anywhere from 150 to 250 books a year and this one is a standout knockdown novel! I highly, highly recommend it!

Slow build, but finally worth it

I struggled to get into this book. I imagined Dr. Lileth Crane from the show "Cheers" telling the story throughout most of it. It's similar to her personality, only a bit more crass. The characters grew on me and it was better the last 2 or 3 hours of the book, or perhaps I was finally invested. Slow going at first, but it was worth it in the end.

Loved it

The story is so engaging that you can’t stop listening. I recommend it. You won’t be disappointed.

The Unexpected Guest

3.5 Stars. A woman who's lost herself in her pursuit of having children, the effect on her marriage, and her physche. This is her story of rebuilding that takes place while she gets involved with The Wedding People who will help her on her journey. Very enjoyable and funny.

Great book!

it was a little predictable but enjoyable none the less. I couldn't put it down! I'm going to grab another by this author