At the Table

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This is the debut novel from Claire Powell and what an assured and excellently written debut it is.

The kind of rare story you want to nosedive into on a hot hungover weekend and slurp down like iced coffee – cold, sweet and quenching . . . a summer read to devour with suncream and spilt rosé – and then lend to your mum or your daughter’ The Times

A gripping yet tender depiction of family dynamics, love and disillusionment about what it means to grow up - both as an individual and as a family. A year of lunches, dinners and drinks we become acquainted with the Maguires, Powell’s witty, smartly observed prose gives us a sense of them all.

I felt secondhand embarrassment reading the scenes between one character and his love interest, the attempt at flirtation actually pained me. Set over the course of one year, “At The Table” tells the story of the Maguire family, parents Gerry and Linda and their adult children Nicole and Jamie. When Gerry and Linda announce their separation after over thirty years of marriage the family are plunged into turmoil. Nicole immediately takes her father’s side and refuses to speak to Linda, while her hard-partying and drinking start to catch up with her. Jamie starts to question everything about himself, especially his upcoming marriage. I absolutely devoured this novel. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. A well written, interesting and great paced story which explores a number of important issues such as post natal depression, anxiety, generational trauma & alcoholism. Nicole and Jamie have struggles of their own. Both in their thirties, they are trying to navigate through the dynamics of careers, life and love. Nicole is hard-working but also likes to party. She’s on a permanent quest to find the right man, remaining furiously unsuccessful while her friends settle down around her. In contrast Jamie has been seeing his girlfriend Lucy for years and their wedding is inevitable and imminent- but is it what he really wants? The Maguire function are dysfunctional, but only in a way most families will find relatable. I found it poignant seeing them come together after being torn apart by their personal dramas, and Powell's choice to leave out sections ended up creating a moving sense of intimacy between them. As readers we go from being zoomed into the individual characters' minds and lives and then suddenly being shut out when their situation comes to a head.

Hobbies

A character explicitly tells one of the protagonists that he’s about to show her a video of his kid. As he pulls out his phone, the next sentence reads ‘She could tell immediately that it was a video of a child.’ Are we trying to hit word count here? Why on earth was this inane sentence necessary? Set over the course of a year, At The Table gives you more than you asked for. I was expecting an easy read with funny parts here and there and instead it was like having an inside look into someone’s home. The Maguires could be your friends or neighbours, that is how crystal the writing is. And although there are funny sections in the book, the emotional grounding far surpasses what I expected. The way that Powell navigates heartache, depression, anxiety, and just not really knowing what your next step in life is, is truly exceptional. The kind of rare story you want to nosedive into on a hot hungover weekend and slurp down like iced coffee - cold, sweet and quenching . . . a summer read to devour with suncream and spilt rosé - and then lend to your mum or your daughter' The Times A brilliant portrayal of family dynamics in all their messy glory. Powell manages to make the Maguires wholly realistic. Right down to the main characters colleagues, friends, even the locations you could picture perfectly because (if you’re in the UK) there is always a pub in walking distance called The Crown. The simple details of everyday life are just spot on every time and you could feel the ups and downs and anxieties of each character.

Painfully funny, acutely well-observed, powerfully resonant in its humanity and emotional accuracy. I missed this book whenever I wasn’t reading it’ Luke Kennard Set over a year this is an intensely intimate glimpse into all of their lives. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I gasped. This is such a real portrayal of family life, warts and all, that it took my breath away with its accuracy. I could have kept on reading about this family for a long, long time. Gerry and Linda Maguire are married and have two thirty something children. Nicole is a hard working, functional alcoholic, who never shies from giving her opinion, while Jamie is reticent and prone to people pleasing. When Linda and Gerry announce their separation after decades of marriage, Nicole and Jamie are stunned. We follow each of the equally flawed characters over the course of the year after the announcement and see how it affects them all. This novel is divided into seasons, which I loved as it paces the Novel really well. Each chapter revolves around eating/drinking hence the title "At the Table". This never felt repetitive and often felt like an easter egg when you realised where the "table" was within the chapter. It also made me realise how often we celebrate or commiserate over food. How food plays such a huge part in the milestones of our life.Drivel. The premise had so much potential, but it was a huge disappointment. A few more notes on the novel in general: