THE WEDDING PEOPLE, a story bursting with humor and heart, will definitely be in my top five audiobooks of 2024. The narrator, Helen Laser, creates a wonderful repertoire of voices and brings Phoebe to life within seconds.

Phoebe arrives at the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, wearing a dramatic green dress that is not her normal attire. She has a plan, one night booked in a room she can’t afford, and no luggage. She’s also the only person staying at the luxurious Victorian mansion overlooking the ocean who isn’t part of the million-dollar wedding that will last six days.

At check-in, she observes the wedding people, listening to their conversations with detachment. It’s nothing to do with her. They’re strangers, and she has her plan.

Gradually, we learn what has brought Phoebe to this pivotal moment in her life with a sense of purpose that frees her to be honest in a way she’s never been before. That includes one comment she makes in the elevator to Lila, bride-to-be, who won’t allow anything or anyone to disrupt her perfect wedding.

But that comment is about to change both their lives.

Lila, daughter of the Trash King who made a fortune in garbage, is young, wealthy, beautiful, and close to being bridezilla. But her need for control over every aspect of the week conceals something that isn’t happiness. As she relies more and more on Phoebe, Phoebe becomes fully present not only in her own life, but in the lives of the two blended families. She even becomes something of a confessor for various members of the wedding party.

I loved watching her transformation from jilted, sensible, adjunct English professor with a failed manuscript to the central figure at Gary and Lila’s wedding—the one person they both trust.

Despite dark threads of depression and grief, every scene is filled with hilarious dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments that include inappropriate sexting, straws shaped like dicks, and a sex powerpoint presentation at the bachelorette party.

What evolves is a unique story of self-compassion. It’s about showing up for yourself and being your own savior. It’s about finding the courage to walk away from your carefully curated life to embrace the uncertainty of the person you want to be. And accepting that becoming that person will take time and patience. And that’s okay.