The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley
Longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize, Friendship, grief and the quiet disappointments of adult life sit at the heart of Gwendoline Riley’s sharply observed novel The Palm House. Laura Miller and Edmund Putnam have spent years sustaining one another through long conversations, literary gossip and a shared understanding of the world. But when Putnam is knocked off balance by bereavement and professional upheaval, their friendship is tested in unexpected ways.
Riley excels at capturing the texture of ordinary lives. There are no dramatic twists or grand revelations here. Instead, the novel draws its power from small moments, half-spoken thoughts and the accumulated weight of memory. Laura’s reflections on family, loneliness and belonging are rendered with a precision that makes even the most mundane encounters feel significant.
What could have been bleak is frequently enlivened by Riley’s dry wit and keen eye for human absurdity. Her characters are flawed, often frustrating, but always recognisable. The novel explores how people sustain themselves through connection, even when those connections are imperfect.
Readers looking for a plot-driven story may find its measured pace challenging, but those willing to settle into Riley’s world will discover a thoughtful and rewarding meditation on friendship, loss and resilience. The Palm House is a subtle novel that lingers long after the final page, finding hope not in dramatic transformation but in the small mercies that help people carry on.
