My Review of The Wedding People by Alison Espach

A few years ago, I set a new goal: to read more. I started by forcing myself to read 10 pages before bed every night. This nightly ritual quickly evolved into something much bigger—I fell back in love with reading. Last summer, I spent hours blistering under the hot sun, devouring books for five hours a day. In those three months, I spent more money on books than anything else. How cool is it to be able to be somewhere else just by reading the words strung together on a page? 

Yesterday, I finished what has quickly become my new favorite book—The Wedding People. Named Goodreads’ “Readers’ Favorite Fiction Novel of 2024,” it had me setting high expectations from the very first page. By the last, those expectations were surpassed.

PS. You should also give The Wedding People a shot.

My Summary

Phoebe, a professor from St. Louis, feels utterly defeated. Betrayed by her husband and drained from years of failed IVF, she’s lost her sense of purpose. Her work no longer inspires her, and to top it all off, her shitty husband has left her for her beautiful friend, Mia.

Desperate for a change, Phoebe escapes to The Cornwall Inn—a luxury hotel on the coast of Rhode Island. She doesn’t even pack a suitcase. It’s just her. But when she arrives, something feels off. She’s the only guest staying at The Cornwall—except for the wedding people.

The wedding people are about to ruin Phoebe’s plan. And yes, they do—specifically, Lila, the high-maintenance bride. Phoebe and Lila couldn’t be more different, but somehow, they’re drawn to each other, and a deep friendship quickly forms.

Over the course of the wedding week, Phoebe continues to bond with the wedding people, who unknowingly save her life in ways she never expected. By the time she leaves The Cornwall, she’s an entirely different Phoebe. She’s honest with herself and others, she’s witty, she desires more from life—and she’s ready to turn the page.

My Takeaways

It’s hard to believe that Phoebe is not real, because she was presented with such detail and personality. She is terrified of her life and also completely brave by continuing forward even in moments of heartbreak and despair. She begins to notice her life and breathes it into those around her, inspiring them in positive ways. She finds a new life through the wedding people. She grows so much throughout the novel, that by the end it was so easy to feel proud and unimaginably happy for her. 

This book is about finding life in ourselves. People help us along the way, but it is inevitably up to us to pull ourselves out of whatever is negatively impacting our lives. It could be sorrow, or loss, or betrayal, or whatever events knock us down.

The Wedding People is incredibly relatable, even though I haven’t personally experienced what the protagonist has. The characters feel so human—they make big mistakes, say the wrong things, and stumble through life. Yet, they grow from these moments, emerging stronger and more authentic.

Favorite Quotes from The Wedding People

“This is exactly what Phoebe has always hated and loved about life—how unpredictable it is, how things can change in an instant.”

“Love is visible—It paints the air between two people a different color, and everyone can see it”

“The fish shakes windy on the end of the line, the force of his will to love so enormous. He is like Virginia Woolf’s moth, fluttering its wings—all struggle, all life.” “It’s beautiful,” she says.

“The smallest sprout shows there is really no death.”

“Phoebe is beginning to accept herself as she truly is—human and sad. The best way is through. But what else can a person do except keep trying?”

“Nobody can take care of you the way you need to take care of yourself. It’s your job to take care of yourself like that.”