The Wedding People

There are many different ways to begin this review. Or to those who have come to follow these rambling thoughts of an emotional reader, it’s probably more accurate to refer to this stream of consciousness writing as my visceral experience while consuming a story.

It’s an odd way to start, but the way this novel flowed, surprised (in plot, characters, and personal reaction), and concluded, Ms. Espach’s words reminded me how important stories are to the fabric of my life. I feel it when I’m reading a book or listening to a radio broadcast or watching a television series, becoming fully immersed in the lives of others as if they were my own. And when you read a passage or thought or entire chapter and it hits home in a supremely powerful and identifiable way, that’s when I come to realize that stories have the ability to remind each one of us that we’re not alone. Ever.

I have this thing about naming the characters in my own books. I dig deep into the etymology of the names to better represent the personality of each participant in the story. And as a result, I can’t help but look for the same in other stories I read. Phoebe Stone, the protagonist of this story, has a first name that means bright, radiant, and pure. While there are pervasive moments of darkness throughout these pages (and some supremely surprising), there is no doubting the purity and inherent vulnerability that the main character portrays throughout these pages. Sometimes it’s only to herself, but that’s just as important as sharing it with the world. In fact, it very well could be the precursor to doing so.

Relationships with others and self are woven together like tightly knit fabric. Some of those threads rip and tear, while others withstand any amount of strain put upon it. The accompanying characters and the way each complements Phoebe in an important way sheds light on how many different ways those threads can be interwoven, stitched tight, or come unwoven. Lila, the bride, showcases supreme outwardly confidence in a showy manner even if she struggles with demons on the inside. Gary, the groom, has those demons too (we all do), but he presents himself to the world with a quiet, controlled, and methodical persona. The bridesmaids, Nat and Suz, and Juice, the daughter of the groom, all possess those same underlying self-doubts that haunt the human psyche.

It’s so incredibly difficult to share our struggles with those surrounding us, for a plethora of reasons. Guilt, embarrassment, shame, confusion, uncertainty, and perhaps more than anything–fear. But. And it’s a tremendously huge conjunction. When we find that one person, who for no logical explanation becomes the entity that pulls all the innermost thoughts from us with ease, this weighty burden lifts from our shoulders. From our entire body.

And that’s really the underlying and overarching message of this entire book for me. You are never alone, and there are so many people out there in the world experiencing just what you are feeling in this moment. And when you find them, by either stumbling upon them through some fateful encounter presented by the universe, or whether you cultivate that relationship and take a leap of faith into the unknown with a stranger (we’re all strangers to one another at the start), doing so changes everything.

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

There were so many passages throughout this book that I wanted to write down and read again. But it began to happen so much that I quickly realized this would be a book that I consume again in its entirety. But this one captured the essence of this story in one sentence. There is poeticism, vulnerability, and hope blossoming between these words.

The Wedding People was a surprising read that arrived in my life when I needed it the most, much like that person who does so in our daily lives to pull the darkest and brightest parts from ourselves effortlessly, to bring about the truest version of ourselves to discover and share with the world.

Dave’s Rating: ☕️☕️☕️☕️

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