Book review originally posted in Counter Arts on Medium on June 21, 2026
How do you write a review about a book with a serious topic that’s at the same time very entertaining and life-affirming?
Alison Espach’s literary-leaning contemporary novel The Wedding People is all that. I believe I won’t spoil much of it by saying that it starts with a depressed woman going to a swanky hotel in Newport with a mind to kill herself, because that’s right there, in the first pages. And while that heavy topic may be a trigger for some people, the book is not heavy-going.
Phoebe, the main character, the one who arrives at the fictional Cornwall Inn in her best silk dress and with no luggage, is a university professor of Victorian literature, and she suffers from the kind of malaise I imagine may affect a great deal of adjuncts like her. She works hard for little recognition, and when she tries to have a baby, she forks out a great deal of money for nothing. Then her husband leaves her for a younger woman who used to be her friend.
Of course, those are no reasons for someone to become suicidal, but Phoebe is depressed, and depression can ravage people’s psyches. What’s good about this book is that even though it tackles depression, it’s not sad or leaden. Once Phoebe meets the bride who has planned about a week of wedding festivities at that Newport mansion, the novel becomes rather upbeat and jolly, with witty dialogue and fun scenes.
I seldom read literary or contemporary fiction breathlessly these days. But sometimes a novel’s writing style, characters, and plot are so compelling and propulsive that I continue with those characters over two or three days, as time allows, until I’ve gorged myself on the whole book.
And The Wedding People is like that, an immersive page-turner that’s witty and entertaining while also being very sensitive in dealing with that one very difficult topic.
Every person is different, but to me, this book is not so much about depression as it is about emotional connection and friendships, and about the love and wit in authentic relationships and in life situations that make life worth living.
Espach creates an engrossing character in Phoebe, using not only the events of that week at the luxurious Newport hotel but also flashbacks. Some readers have complained about the latter, but I found them seamlessly woven in. Together they create a portrait of a literature professor who is truly passionate about her field and teaching, but feels shortchanged by life in general. In contrast, Lisa, the bride, comes from money and entitlement and is presumptuous about what can and cannot happen during her wedding week. She is also funny, sweet, and very young, and she is still grieving her father, whose last wish was for her to have a lavish wedding. The two women strike up a friendship that yields all the feels, in unexpected yet very real ways.
Phoebe also develops relationships with other people at the wedding — as per the title — and their presentation on the page is full of situational comedy, with plenty of humorous dialogue.
The Wedding People was first published in 2024, and that summer it became a Read with Jenna pick. It’s no beach read, but it certainly masquerades as one.
I don’t want to include too many spoilers in this review, because this is a book worth exploring on its own. But I’ll just say that it includes a bit of romance too, presented on the page in a way that may seem controversial but is also very satisfying and real.
The whole book reads like a concoction of wit and joy, but at the same time it’s a novel full of reality checks — again, delivered with great sensitivity and a talent for writing with meaning yet not with leaden fingers.
The Wedding People is one of my favorite reads this year. Enjoy!
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Thank you for reading! As always, pins and shares are much appreciated!
And if you liked this piece, you might also be interested in these two blog posts:
Lily King, ‘Heart the Lover’, A Story of Love in Young and Older Age
OpenAI Model Writes Literary Metafiction on Grief and AI. An Analysis
To a happier, healthier life,
Mira
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