The Palm House

by Gwendoline Riley

From the author of My Phantoms and First Love, a droll and quietly evocative novel about work, friendship, family, and the path—so often muddled—toward finding one’s place in life.

In The Palm House, Laura's long friendship with Edmund Putnam is tested when he resigns from Sequence magazine—one of the few places he has ever felt he belonged. Putnam repines. His sweet-natured father has recently died, which has not improved his mood. Meanwhile Laura's relentlessly “outward-facing” mother is still at large and toting a new boyfriend as if he were a marotte. Laura, too, needs a new job, and a place to live that doesn't have centipedes in the kitchen. 

Gwendoline Riley's seventh novel explores acceptance and affinity. Young people don't drink anymore but Laura and Putnam are no longer young. Over wine and crisps the pair reflect on what has brought them to where they are. There are memories of childhood package holidays, teenage friendships and obsessions, peculiar love affairs, bad parties. 

Life is fleeting. Sequence magazine means something, but what? Might Putnam plot a return? The Palm House looks at what it means to find, understand, and accept where one fits.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Novels, Literary Fiction, Literature

208 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 2, 2026

Reviews

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did look into that, when I got in. I looked at prices for Paris and for Amsterdam. It was an easy thing to talk myself out of, though, when there was still so much I hadn’t seen in London. Putnam and I kept meaning to go to the Cabinet War Rooms. He often said, too, that I should go with him and his father one weekend to visit the ancient cycads in the Kew Gardens Palm House

The Palm House is Gwendoline Riley’s seventh novel and one that while it doesn’t really stretch the boundaries of her work, adds to an impressive oeuvre.

The first person narrator here is Laura, who as often with Riley’s narrators is too busy dissecting the life of her friends and her parents to analyse her own, which emerges in various vignettes, leaving that exercise to the reader. In my review of First Love I said: "It is both a difficulty with but also a strength of the novel, that it is quite hard to piece together Neve’s life, house moves and relationships, but that it also doesn't really matter," which I commented in my review of could be ported over simply by substituting Aislinn for Neve, and here the same would work for Laura.

The novel opens, although not dated, in October 2017 and the dust red skies over London from the Storm Ophelia sand storm, but this is rather a backdrop to the narrator’s conversation with her closest friend, Putnam (clearly his preferred sobriquet rather than Ed or Edward), aged 49 and older than Laura. Putnam has worked at a cultural magazine, Sequence, for 25 years, almost his entire career. Some months earlier a new editor was appointed by the publishing firm that owns the publication, after the death of the long-standing previous editor, and his desire to inject some modern approaches to the rather traditional, 50+ year old magazine (his vision is ‘a sort of London version of the New Yorker’) have gone down badly with the staff, and indeed with the loyal readership (‘of course we want to bring them along if we can’ retorts the new editor), and Putnam has resigned.

The narrator also introduces us to her rather quirky mother (a Riley staple) and the contrast to Putnam is striking:

I once tried to describe my mother's particular way of talking to Putnam. I was trying to nail down something about the mixture of hyperbole and deprecation, about a world where sod's law was the natural law. Putnam, it turned out, was the wrong person to deliberate with.

'Northern,' he said.

'Eh?'

'The word you're looking for is Northern.'

'Everything's a laff,' he said. 'Nothing's to be taken seriously. Nothing's worthy of the slightest bit of respect. Or thought. Nothing can be sat with for even one second. Instead we get this annihilating flippancy. I'm sorry, Laura, I loathe it. It's everything I've fought against for my whole life.'

And she also covers, inter Alia, her absent father, and her brief relationship with a rakish actor, one who indeed seemed to be acting in real-life the part of a rakish actor.

But the novel’s real power is in the portrayal of Laura and Putnam’s friendship as well as their self-limiting view that they don’t deserve anything more, their life confined to a small circle of friends and a relatively small part of South London (Putnam works in Tooley Street and lives close by in Shad Thames), Laura’s rejection (see the opening quote) of a friend’s suggestion that she might eg try a holiday, even a brief city break, rather telling (and they don’t even make it out to Kew and the Palm House).

For now, my new habit was to look around the Tate during my lunch hour. I crossed the river at Vauxhall Bridge. There was the knock-knock sound of my boots on Milbank, the sudden wind, the large leaves cart-wheeling along the promenade.

After work, if I wanted to think about the future, I might have a drink in one of those dark-wood, etched-glass Victorian pubs near Pimlico, sitting on a wobbling stool by the wall.

Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Palm House is only the second novel that I've read by Gwendoline Riley. It is a much more passive and thoughtful novel than My Phantoms. For me it was missing impact in a lot of areas but if you read it as a look at the lives of ordinary people growing older and coming to terms with inevitable changes then it does exactly what I should. I think, after the beginning when dealing with Laura's chaotic (and often dangerous) childhood, I expected more surprises.

However we follow the course of Laura's life working for Sequence, a publication which caters to "young fogeys" and where she becomes friends with Putnam whose nose is put out of joint following the arrival of a new editor who wants to shake things up.

The Palm House is a gentle novel with its characters weaving in and out of each other's lives as they try to find careers and homes where they can be happy - or at least live without mould and caterpillars.

I enjoyed it to a point even if it felt much more disjointed than "Phantoms". I still need to read more by this author. Her prose is exquisite.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Picador for the digital review copy.

[Ben Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Palm House, the latest novel by Gwendoline Riley, is another striking slice of contemporary life, of a woman - this time Laura Miller - with a complex relationship with her mother and of her friendship with an older man, Edward Putnam (just Putnam to his friends). He is a long term writer with a magazine, Sequence, but about to be shoved out by a new, younger editor. Laura is also adrift in her own way, and the friendship between these two souls forms the backbone of this novel.

I have long admired Riley's fiction - I came onboard with her debut Cold Water in 2002 - and have read everything she has published since. The Palm House treads her familiar themes, but never feels like a repition. From the beautiful opening sentences, Riley grips in a way few manage; she has a sharp eye, and a scapel-sharp style of prose that gets right to the beating heart of her characters. If you've not read her before, this is a great place to start. If you've liked her previous works, this one will be a treat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura Miller and Edmund Putnam have been friends for years, frequently meeting in an old Southwark riverside pub to gossip, reminisce and put the world to rights. However, Edmund doesn’t seem quite himself, his father has died and he’s handed his notice in at the magazine “Sequence” where he worked for 25 years. The latter in part is owing to an insufferable young new editor, Simon Halfpenny, known as Shove and not affectionately so, who envisages a new direction for the magazine. Laura herself has her issues, some of which lie in the past. She has an awkward relationship with her impatient and tricky mother who can be disinterested and detached and Laura’s day-to-day existence can be described as precarious. However, her paramount concern is her friend Putnam who seems to be sinking deeper and deeper into misery and despair and so she needs to try to break the ever deepening descent into the slough of despond.

I’ve not read this author before but she pulls me into the storytelling with a very atmospheric start, there’s the old pub in which the friends meet, the Saharan sandstorm of 2017 affecting London as well as the magazine. I like her style of writing, there’s clarity and colour but nothing unnecessary which allows the friendship of this pair, their personalities, the characters in their lives and the fantastic dialogue to shine through. It’s witty, making me smile at some of the images conveyed.

Laura’s early memories with her mother do make me smile though I have absolutely no clue of the origins of an oft repeated phrase “Speaka to Charlie”! However, it can be a separate and lonely existence, until Laura is doing her A-levels and from then on her recollections are part joyous, part concerning and scary as her naivety gets her into trouble and some are sad or demonstrate the instability of her life.

Her relationships, especially with Putnam are reflective, their dialogue is intelligent, witty and entertaining and makes me feel a bit like a fly on the wall. Putnam‘s grief is palpable as is his dissatisfaction with aspects of his life which is clear for all to see. As for Laura, perhaps now her life is about to take an upward turn and maybe Putnam is over the worst.

Overall, this is a reflective, well observed character study which I really enjoy and it makes me want to check out the author’s other work.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan Macmillan/Picador for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Steve Cavill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading Gwendoline Riley, an author whose work has been longlisted and shortlisted for numerous literary prizes, so I was keen to see what all the attention was about. The Palm House immediately establishes itself as a novel far more concerned with mood, character, and observation than with plot, and it’s clear early on that this is a deliberate choice rather than a shortcoming.

The story unfolds largely through shared drinks, drifting conversations, and recollections between two friends, Laura and Putnam. On the surface, very little happens, but Riley has a sharp eye for the emotional undercurrents that run beneath everyday interactions. Putnam’s grief, Laura’s low-level dissatisfaction with her life, the quiet absurdities of cultural workplace politics, and a shared nostalgia for a fading London are all rendered with subtlety and restraint. These elements combine to create something quietly poignant, often wry, and occasionally uncomfortably funny.

I enjoyed the novel’s slow, meandering, character-driven approach and its finely tuned observational style. Riley excels at capturing the things people don’t quite say, as well as the awkward pauses and small irritations that shape long-standing relationships. That said, the lack of a more defined narrative arc may prove frustrating or distracting for some readers, particularly those looking for momentum or a clear sense of direction. It’s a book that asks for patience and rewards attentiveness, rather than one that pulls you along through plot alone.

The Palm House isn’t a blockbuster or a page-turner in the conventional sense, but it lingers in the mind after finishing. It’s reflective, intelligent, and quietly affecting — a novel that finds meaning in the ordinary and discomfort in the familiar. While I’m not entirely sure it was the ideal introduction to Riley’s work, it has certainly left me curious to read more from her.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Picador for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gwendoline Riley is an author whose name kept coming to my attention, so when I saw her latest novel on NetGalley, I decided to finally read something by her. I am so delighted that I did give her a try as I loved this understated, intelligent, thoughtful novel, which says so much about contemporary life.

Laura Miller and Edmund Putnam are friends. Putnam is 49, lives alone and works for a cultural magazine, 'Sequence,' which Laura occasionally writes for. Although he has worked there for twenty-five years, he leaves after the arrival of a brash, new editor. Simon 'call me Shove' Halfpenny, has no understanding of the magazine and anyone who has worked in any office will sympathise as he bulldozes his way through established working methods, causing havoc and upset.

Laura is younger and has a somewhat fraught relationship with her mother. The novel goes back and forth through her life, relating the sometimes dangerous situations that young women get themselves into. I loved seeing things through her eyes, eavesdropping on her conversations, getting to know her.

I am an avid reader and there are so many books and authors calling for your attention. The test is whether you would read more by a new author. In this case, it is a resounding yes. I want to read everything Gwendoline Riley has written and she is a discovered author that I know will become a favourite. I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley for review.

[Books Before Bs · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Palm House’ by Gwendoline Riley is a simple yet compelling novel. Not much happens by way of plot, and I’d be hard pressed to summarise the story or state what it’s really about or what the author is trying to say, but the writing is superb, as is the characterisation, and this combination alone was enough to draw me forward through the novel and devour it in just a couple of sittings.

The writing is precise, and lacks any ostentation. While reading, I could picture the characters so clearly, feel their emotional states so vividly, it felt like for a few hours I had been immersed in their world—a world as real as my own. It isn’t often that characters come through the page with such clarity.

The rhythm of the prose is excellent, too. It has a melodic, dreamlike quality that gives the novel a very particular atmosphere, an almost liminal feel. This feeling, and the way it lingers after reading, is a large part of the novel’s charm.

In terms of who I’d recommend this book to, it’s definitely one for readers who appreciate atmosphere and depth of characterisation over plot or tangible meaning. It is perfect for anyone who wants to bask for a while in quietly stunning writing.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gwendoline Riley and Picador for the ARC.

⚠️ Adult/minor relationship, death of a parent, drug use

[Juliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Never mind carrying a cross, it felt at times as if Putnam had decided to wear a coffin when he came out for a drink. It was as if he were wearing this coffin and daring us all to say something about it. I imagined a coffin propped up near our table and Putnam occasionally bashing open the lid to shout, 'Don't mind me!'” I so loved Gwendoline Riley’s latest novel, The Palm House, out from Picador next month (thanks, as ever, to Kieran from Picador for sending me a proof!). It’s a slow and subtle character study, not only of the narrator Laura but of her friend Edmund Putnam, who finds himself in a depressive rut after leaving a rapidly worsening job at the literary magazine he loves, while still fresh from grieving the death of his father. It’s understated and little happens, but Riley’s skill for acute psychological depth is as hones as ever, and even though I’m not often a fan of dialogue-heavy books, the absorbing conversational realism here makes it worthwhile. The chapters exploring Laura’s own past, though uncomfortable and tinged with sadness, were particularly revelatory and compelling. Another fine, layered work from Riley.

[Chelsea Knowles]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

The palm house follows Laura Miller and Edmund Putnam who have been friends for a long time. They spend time together in a pub by the Thames where they gossip. Putnam has changed, Laura finds it hard to reach him and the magazine he works for has a new editor and Putnam can’t stand him. Laura has her own problems but she must be there for Putnam.

I didn’t like this and to be completely honest I just don’t get this. I didn’t connect to any of the characters and this just felt like nothing to me. This isn’t my usual choice of book either and I only read this because I wanted something short and I got sent an eARC. This wasn’t bad book just not one that made any sense to me.

[d · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘As well as living had he not spent a good proportion of those years reading, thinking, watching films? Had none of that given him an inkling of how to face life? Some model for elegant survival?’

‘He lapsed too easily, for my taste, into anecdote, but that’s actors, I suppose’

‘It seemed to me that he’d just matched up two sets of circumstances. It was probably what he was wired to do. That look of absent concentration which he’s worn all night, it reminded me of the people you saw on the tube playing phone games: pairing up fruit or coloured shapes. I think he was doing something similar: I wanted to move, he had a room’

[Maddie Grigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first taste of Gwendoline Rlley and, despite the lack of a hard plot or storyline to the novel, I really enjoyed it.
Two forty-something Londoners, Laura and Putnam, have been friends for years. The contemporary story begins when Putnam loses his writer job at Sequence magazine. This is the springboard for a tale of friendship, with respective pasts and presents and ponderings about the future intertwining, like a commentary on midlife.
It's not a novel that goes anywhere much but the wit, matter-0f-fact descriptions and use of language make this a joy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual and interesting title for this book. I'm taking it as a metaphor, the characters being the plants housed and cared for in the glasshouse, and the reader looking in.
I enjoyed reading the story, and completed it in one sitting. It throws up some interesting points which made me think about the character's lives, and ponder on where they would end up.
There was something real and atmospheric about the various settings, and the everyday life of Putnam and Laura seemed to present the mundane in an interesting and qualified way.
Not a deep, meaningful read, but an enjoyable trip into a contemporary story.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley is a thoroughly relatable piece and a fantastic introduction to the work of Gwendoline Riley.

The story wraps around the friendship between Laura and Edmund as they traverse the highs and lows of daily life, punctuating the narrative with a sharp wit and warm humour that perfectly captures London life. Riley creates characters that I can empathise with and trials and tribulations that I can oh so relate to.

Thank you to Netgalley, Picador and the author Gwendoline Riley for this wonderful arc. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[Daren Kearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nostalgic easy read that reminded me of Anita Brookner. The story is a short one that focuses on a group working at a magazine, Sequence. The narrator, Laura, spends time with Putnam, an older man who has just lost his father and left the magazine due to a new editor and his direction. She also reflects on her past, with disturbing teenage encounters with a creepy comedian and a later relationship with an eccentric actor.
The characters quietly go through life, adapting to situations and stoically dealing with what happens to them in their stride.
No hysteria, no drama, but an absolutely absorbing read and escape into someone else’s life.

Advance review via NetGalley

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for the sentences because they are crisp, concise revelations of character and plot. That might make it sound too cool or detached but there is a wizardry at work in the writing which allows you to care and engage with the story and the characters. There is also something about this writer's work which presents a puzzle that keeps you reading. I really recommend reading Gwendoline Riley's books and this is an excellent place to start. I will miss Laura and Putnam for the rest of the week and will think of them from time to time.

Thanks to Netgalley for ARC.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's perfectly fine - maybe the tale of people getting older and more cynical about their work is too close to home, as I thought, yes that's life, and...

After the chapter which related an unpleasant period in Laura's life I was waiting for this incident to be raised again, perhaps in some magazine expose - but no, it was just an interlude in her life. I do appreciate the beautiful writing and was grateful that it wasn't a massive tome as I would need a bit of plot if it were much longer.

[Peter Willoughby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was interesting and absorbing but didn't really appear to achieve anything. There were also some unpleasant but apparently otherwise irrelevant incidents in Laura's early life. The characters were interesting but not riveting.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

gwendoline riley cuts so close to the bone. utter excellence.

[Julia Chilver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful writing. A slice of Laura’s life. Everyday, mundane and devestating.
I hope this gets on the Booker List when it is published.

[Janna Shaftan]

Galley. Coming soon.

[Hein Matthew Hattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant slices of life, with magnificently captured dialogue. Not really a novel.

[MISS RACHEL · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf.
Not for me.
Odd style and then a teenage girl being groomed and abused by a TV comedian twice her age. I don’t want to read about that.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very gentle read about life in a small publishing house for a magazine called Sequence; the friendships that arise from that and what happens when one of the journalists, with plenty of complex stuff going on in his life, decides to resign. I did enjoy the characterizations and the writing itself was exquisite but the story did not really grab me hence the 3 star rating. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced read.