The Divorce Papers

Documents. I opened Susan Rieger’s debut novel, The Divorce Papers, expecting to find it tedious. Instead of a traditional narrator, Rieger uses paperwork, a variety of different documents including email, court filings and letters, to tell the story. I anticipated that this structure would fall apart after a few dozen documents. I was pleasantly surprised that the structured delighted me, and added to the pleasure of the story. Rieger presents a cast of characters who are fully human: some likeable and some not. Protagonist Sophie Diehl is a 29-year-old criminal defense attorney for a small firm in a New England state. She reluctantly agrees to the request of the managing partner that she handle the divorce of the daughter of the CEO of one of the firm’s biggest clients. All of the characters become fleshed out through their email and notes, and I was impressed with how well Rieger pulled that off. Readers looking for something innovative in fiction and willing to look at a debut novel should consider reading this one. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Divorce Papers from amazon.com.