#atthetable

I shall trust in your name, 

so full of goodness, 

At The Table is a fascinating look into the impact of later life divorce can have on a family. Claire Powell brings to life the Maguire family as she regales us with the fallout of the divorce over its first year. Linda and Gerry Maguire’s breakdown trickles down to the mental breakdown of their eldest son, Jamie, and the existential breakdown of their daughter, Nicole.

Powell uses the seasons to mark the passage of time within the book and centres the action within each chapter around a meal. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter provide wonderful backdrops to the drama, as you find yourself questioning how Christmas is going to work for this family, and how the upcoming nuptials of Jamie are going to be affected by the separation.

The decision to have each chapter follow a different family member works especially well, allowing the reader to gauge the difference in adjustment for each. Whilst one character finds themselves yearning for the past and the opportunity to make mistakes, another is searching for the freedom within themselves to explore the newfound independence. It’s an excellent device for such a grand tale, told on such a relatable and relevant level although it did leave some chapters dragging as I longed for resolutions to the threads of other characters.

The book is certainly a part of the latest twenty-something-year old protagonist kick within the writing industry, and it is certainly a gem amongst the others. Feeling like a Sally Rooney novel with a kick of Fleabag and This Way Up, it has a feeling that Nicole is the central character as the drink loving, career focused woman who just hasn’t found her place to be happy. Her journey is the best part of the book and although she’s somewhat unlikeable, she’s totally loveable and relatable. She’s the type of character that you’d hate to meet in person, but reading about her is an absolute hoot.

I was absolutely blown away by Claire Powell’s writing and gripped to the page. I cannot wait to see what she follows this up with, and I can only wonder how she’ll outdo herself.