Paradise is an emotional roller coaster that left me both exhilarated and exhausted by the end of the 709 page book. It's one of those books where you can't wait to get to the end to see how it all gets resolved, yet at the same time, you don't ever want the experience of reading the story to come to an end.
It begins with the story of Meredith Bancroft's childhood. Her father banished his wife from their lives when Meredith was a baby, because he believed she'd been promiscuous. In an effort to ensure Meredith didn't have a chance of being like her mother, Phillip Bancroft exerts unfair restrictions and control over Meredith's childhood, effectively robbing her of it. So instead of a normal childhood, Meredith grows up in a world of privilege, yet terrible loneliness. She acts as her father's business hostess and absorbs and loves everything about the Bancroft department store, which is her family heritage.
It begins with the story of Meredith Bancroft's childhood. Her father banished his wife from their lives when Meredith was a baby, because he believed she'd been promiscuous. In an effort to ensure Meredith didn't have a chance of being like her mother, Phillip Bancroft exerts unfair restrictions and control over Meredith's childhood, effectively robbing her of it. So instead of a normal childhood, Meredith grows up in a world of privilege, yet terrible loneliness. She acts as her father's business hostess and absorbs and loves everything about the Bancroft department store, which is her family heritage.
