By those measures this novel succeeds triumphantly. Increasingly, I find that I judge the quality of a book by its ability to allow me to step into another person’s shoes to live (if only for an hour or two) an imaginary existence and to feel the experience to be authentic. A gripping yet tender depiction of family dynamics, love and disillusionment, At the Table is about what it means to grow up-both as an individual and as a family. Set in 2018, Claire Powell's beautifully observed debut novel follows each member of the Maguire family over a tumultuous year of lunches, dinners and drinks, as old conflicts arise and relationships are re-evaluated. But as the siblings grapple with the pressures of thirtysomething life, their parents struggle to protect the fragile façade of their own relationship and the secrets they've both been keeping. Hardworking-and hard-drinking-Nicole, pursues the ex she unceremoniously dumped six years ago, while people-pleasing Jamie fears he's sleepwalking into a marriage he doesn't actually want. So when Linda and Gerry announce that they've decided to separate, the news sends shockwaves through the siblings' lives, forcing them to confront their own expectations and desires.

To Nicole and Jamie Maguire, their parents seem the ideal couple-a suburban double act, happily married for more than 30 years.

A 2022 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR for THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, RED, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING AND CRITIC

At the Table by Claire Powell