Sept. Chronicles & (re)Casting: People We Meet on Vacation

What better way to say goodbye to summer than with a reread of one of my favorite Emily Henry books? Let's take a dive into the sticky-sweet plot of People We Meet on Vacation!

Book cover image from Goodreads; graphic created by the blogger on Canva.

Alex and Poppy's story begins one fateful day at the University of Chicago, where the opposites did not, in fact, attract. After a brief run-in during orientation week, the two part ways feeling quite sure they'll never see one another again. Much to their initial chagrin, however, it turns out that they hail from neighboring hometowns in Ohio and are thus unwittingly paired up to drive home together for fall break. As Poppy begins to unravel Alex's quirks and Alex warms to Poppy's spontaneous nature, they forge an unlikely friendship that will span across time and distance.

In the college years that follow and beyond, we flash back to Poppy and Alex's many travels together, culminating in a quintessential summer trip that tethers them across miles, new careers, and blossoming relationships. They make a dynamic duo, and are seemingly always happiest when they're together, whether it's in a fancy hotel or a borrowed tent in a backyard. A quiet part of Poppy also yearns for more – an urge that she's willing to stifle in order to keep her best friend in her life.

Present-day Poppy's reality couldn't be more different from these technicolor memories. She and Alex haven't spoken in two years, she's dissatisfied with her dream job as a travel writer, and New York has lost its luster. The first step to pulling herself out of this rut? Reconnecting with the friend she has missed every day since their estrangement. Slowly, tentatively, she and Alex begin to text, then talk on the phone, always avoiding any dangerous reminiscences to the past.

When she's assigned a new trip to write about for the summer, Poppy seizes the opportunity to plan a weeklong vacation in sunny (read: sweaty) Palm Springs, California, where she happens to know Alex's brother will be getting married in just a few short weeks. This Hail Mary harkens back to their old summer trips, and Poppy hopes it will be enough for them to get back to where they once were.

What follows is a preternaturally-hot motel room, desperate attempts to earn back Alex's smile, and a final reckoning between old friends. But can the pair turn back time – and if so – should they?

“I don't think I knew I was lonely until I met you.”

Emily Henry 🤝 Nora Ephron

Who are we kidding? I'm a sucker for a friends-to-lovers plot, and this novel is no exception. Along with most of Miss Henry's books, People We Meet has been on an annual rotation since I discovered the book in 2021. Ideal for fans of When Harry Met Sally, Love, Rosie, and You, Again, Poppy and Alex's story is rife with missed opportunities, which can get a little infuriating – but also feels very human. Aren't we all a little scared of our feelings sometimes, especially when it comes to the most important people in our lives?

That being said, readers be warned: if you hate a miscommunication trope or couldn't stand the will-they-won't-they of Normal People, this book is not for you. Though the story is told entirely from Poppy's perspective, it's clear they pine for each other for 90% of the 364-page count. And on that note, I think I would have loved some of Alex's POV sprinkled into the narrative! Poppy is so convinced that Alex is perfect and she is broken in some way, and I'd love to have seen Poppy through his eyes, or even just heard his own take on their mending friendship. She has proven that, like many of us, she is not the most reliable narrator, especially in her own self-regard. Alex's voice might have lent her more grace and added more nuance to an at-times frantic narration. (I mean, the man got a vasectomy for her, and they weren't even together.)

Although it doesn't hit quite as hard for me as the protagonists in Beach Read or Happy Place, as my gateway into the world of Emily Henry, this book holds a special place in my heart. I give it a solid 4 stars!

Translating from Page to Screen

On this reread, I couldn't help but picture who might capture Poppy's free spirit and anxious-avoidant attachment style and Alex's combination of outward stoicism and inward silliness. You can mix and match my fan casts of Poppy and Alex (as if our existing cast isn't perfect enough):

• India Amarteifio and Lewis Pullman

• Charithra Chandran and Dylan O'Brien

• Geraldine Viswanathan and Corey Mylchreest

• Elle Fanning and Matthew Broome

• Haley Lu Richardson and Raymond Ablack

I don't think they'll be letting me take a turn in the casting director chair anytime soon, but a girl can dream, right? Who would you cast to play these protagonists?