In the bestselling novel “The Wedding People,” a woman arrives at a Newport hotel planning to end her life. But an unexpected encounter with a wedding party changes the course of her stay — and her life.
This week, the Pell Center at Salve Regina University, the Rhode Island Center for the Book and Ocean State Media hosted a seaside conversation with author Alison Espach. Afterward, she spoke with Ocean State Media’s Allison Magnus about the Rhode Island inspiration behind the novel, life as a bestselling author and what might come next.
Interview highlights
On what inspired “The Wedding People”
Allison Espach: (I wanted) to write a book about someone who learns how to start over. I was intrigued by that challenge of moving from not being able to imagine your life any better to the transformation that Phoebe undergoes throughout the book – to feeling okay and feeling like life has possibilities.
On how Rhode Island inspired the book
Espach: Oh man, so many little things. The obvious setting of Newport, I mean, that's pretty clear. It's just so beautiful… Every time you visit, you're like, "Man, I should live here." And then you realize you can't. But it's a place of great contrast. It's got this historical element. It's also got modern living. You can go get collagen shots at your local cafe or something like that. So I was really intrigued by that contrast.
On why Newport was the right setting
Espach: I tinkered with some other settings, but this (Newport) was always the one that felt right to the character, especially of Lila. So the contrast comes into play in the sense that Lila is seeking this perfect kind of romantic, 19th-century-ish wedding, right? And she wants every detail to be just right. And then, of course, like I said, there's modern life all around them. There's the air conditioner that won't stop making noise. The car is not this classic vintage car, but it's an Uber Black and these things she can't deal with. So working through that contrast for her was a big part of her character and sort of why I wanted the wedding to have these grand and ambitious expectations of perfection, but of course slowly the facade gets torn away.
On what she loves about Rhode Island
Espach: I love that it's so small, and I love that you can get to so many different regions in like 45 minutes or less. I live in the city, I live in Providence, and I can hop over to take a dip in the ocean or go over to kind of the rural sort of farmland area and have that kind of experience. So I've never experienced that before. And it feels like there's everything.
On how life has changed since the book’s success
Espach: It's definitely changed. It's just, I don't know, just a lot more opportunity for interesting, exciting things. Like here I am doing an event at this beautiful mansion. No one would have asked me to do that before. So just getting to have those experiences and then meeting all the readers who come out or email me, or just a lot more communication with the outside world. I felt like I got a few emails here and there before this, but not too many. And so it definitely feels like the readership has widened and I have just stronger communication with people.
On why she continues teaching
Espach: It's just so social. Writing is really solitary, especially being a novelist. If I had been a screenwriter, maybe I wouldn't be saying such things, but it's nice to be forced out of your house and to see these young people doing what you forgot you used to do. I think especially the longer I teach, the more refreshed I am by the new creative writer who will come in. And I had a student once; I remember she was just like, "I really love this line. It's just so cool." You know what I mean? And just feeling that passion for just words, right? That's the kind of thing over time you can forget or lose contact with. So I love that spirit and getting to engage with it.
On a possible movie adaptation of “The Wedding People”
Espach: I wish I could give you more. They are at work working on a screenplay, and that is as much as I know, to be honest.
