The Divorce Papers - by Susan Rieger (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A "sneakily clever" (Kevin Kwan) novel of the lengths we'll go for that thing called love, from the author of Like Mother, Like Mother

"In her clever modern twist on the epistolary form, Rieger excavates the humor and humanity from a most bitter uncoupling."--Emily Giffin, The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)

"A witty first novel . . . providing all the voyeuristic pleasure of snooping through someone else's inbox."--People

Sophie Diehl is happily toiling away at an old-line New England law firm when Mayflower descendant Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim strides through the door. While dining at the most chic eatery in town, Mia was handed a most unwanted substitute for the wine list: divorce papers.

Sophie reluctantly steps away from her criminal law casework to conduct Mia's intake interview and, to her dismay, Mia insists she take the case--Sophie is just who she needs to take on her soon-to-be-ex and his thuggish lawyers. For Sophie, the whole affair sparks a hard look at the relationships in her own life with parents, friends, and lovers.

A rich, layered novel told entirely through personal correspondence, office memos, e-mails, articles, handwritten notes, and legal documents, The Divorce Papers offers a direct window into the lives of an entertaining cast of characters never shy about speaking their minds.

Review Quotes

"Ingenious setup and voyeuristic pleasures . . . In her clever modern twist on the epistolary form, Rieger excavates the humor and humanity from a most bitter uncoupling."--Emily Giffin, The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)

"Fresh and lively . . . smart and wonderfully entertaining . . . . The power and canniness of this bittersweet work of epistolary fiction pulls you along... This portrait of a divorce makes for serious, yet charming, entertainment. . . . A dramatic intertwining of the law and human feelings."--NPR

"A witty first novel . . . providing all the voyeuristic pleasure of snooping through someone else's inbox."--People

"Brims with brio and wit."--Entertainment Weekly

"This comedy of manners . . . unfolds through e-mails, legal briefs, handwritten notes, and interoffice memos. . . . The texts offer a provocative glimpse of how intimately our documents reveal us."--The New Yorker

"[Rieger] uses office politics and legal clashes to brilliant and scathingly funny effect. Think The Good Wife but funnier and, in the end, more poignant."--The Christian Science Monitor

"Whip smart . . . The characters are hilarious and brilliant."--Lucky

"Smart, sophisticated, and incredibly fun, The Divorce Papers brilliantly combines the pleasures of snooping with the delights of great storytelling. I raced through these charming pages and enjoyed every one."--Karen Thompson Walker, author of The Age of Miracles

"Terrific fun. I relished every last letter, memo, e-mail, and legal brief in this sneakily clever, insidery peek into the world of privileged families and the lawyers who serve them."--Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians

"Rieger writes with such facility and humor in so many voices. . . . An excellent yarn about the nature of love, insecurity and commitment."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Exceedingly entertaining."--Real Simple

"Clever and funny . . . Rieger's tone, textured structure, and lively voice make this debut a winner."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A brutally comic chronicle of high-end divorce . . . Extremely clever."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Rieger brilliantly blends the serious and the comic. . . . If you like your fiction smart and witty, The Divorce Papers is a winner."--Shelf Awareness (starred review)

About the Author

Susan Rieger is a graduate of Columbia Law School. She has worked as a residential college dean at Yale and as an associate provost at Columbia. She has taught law to undergraduates at both schools and written frequently about the law for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of The Heirs and The Divorce Papers. She lives in New York City with her husband.