A great book from Claire, I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and I found myself hooked. Thank you netgalley for the review copy!

This is a brilliant novel which is written so well. The character development is really good.
This book is set over a year. I really enjoyed it

Brilliantly observed and emotionally astute depiction of modern dysfunctional family life. The characters and their journeys are well drawn and intimately portrayed. Beautifully written, featuring the voices of each of the family members, and full of wit and clever insights.

What starts as a celebratory family lunch turns into the slow unravelling of their parents' marriage in front of Nicole and Jamie's eyes.

Due to marry Lucy later in the year, Jamie doesn't outwardly show much reaction, but on the inside everything he thought about the perfect marriage is blown apart. His own relationship is thrown into jeopardy, whilst at the same time being propelled inexorably towards a rapidly approaching and meticulously planned wedding day

Meanwhile, working in a male-dominated industry, Nicole continues to work and party hard, but begins to wonder what she is looking for and that maybe she has let "the one" slip through her fingers, especially since everyone else seems to be settling down.

Gradually, we uncover what led to the breakup and how they come through the other side, individually and as a family, dealing also with alcoholism and mental illness.

At The Table
Claire Powell

I really enjoyed this modern, fresh family drama with its flawed characters & family messiness. I especially liked the way each chapter was set around a meal time. Such a clever idea! A funny an intelligent debut. Will look out for what Claire Powell does next!

Thanks as always to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity w read & review this title.

This was a good easy read for me but just a bit of a slow burner. I'm glad I kept going with it though. A true reflection of modern day family dramas. Will keep an eye out for more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley.

Absolutely brilliant book. The writing was every bit as good as the reviews have said. Full of wit, distinct observations, and clever insight - you will not regret jumping in.

The cover of this grabbed my attention.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a really good book, kept me entertained throughout and I would recommend to all.

At the Table by Claire Powell

Over a year of lunches, dinners and celebrations we get to know the Maguire family - parents Gerry and Linda who announce they are separating, and adult children Jamie and Nicole who deal with the fallout of this and other pressures in their lives.

What a fantastic book - an intimate portrayal of the messiness of family life and the challenges of modern living. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy. This is a really good book, kept me entertained throughout and I would thoroughly recommend to all.

What a great read!

The book begins with Linda and Gerry telling their adult children that they are splitting up after 30 years of marriage. From this moment on we follow each of the family member through the following year. Often we encounter the characters at a dinner or a pub conversing around the table. This didn't feel planted or incredibly literary device focused. Don't most people have important moments just sitting around a table?

Each character was very well done and realistic with issues that I truly felt for and sympathised with. They have significant moments that have shaken them and they carry within while going through life. While these can be debilitating and heavy, the book did not feel that way at all. The story and writing felt fresh and poignant. Can't wait to read more from this author!

Also..isn't this just the most brilliant cover?

Thank you to Netgalley & Little, Brown Book Group UK for this e-ARC.

This novel was so well written, it made me ache with jealousy. Over the course of one year, a family splinters and reassembles again. Featuring many meals and memorable London locations, especially south east London. (If you ask me, any novel that includes a description of the Greenwich Waitrose carpark, which I know well, is a winner.) I have recommended this over and over again. It's a wonderful novel.

A debut novel about a dysfunctional family with the special twist that the kids who have to deal with their parents's divorce are 30+. Witty and well-observed.

Set in contemporary London (2018), this story follows the Maguire family after a bombshell threatens to tear them apart.

Gerry and Linda are splitting up after raising two children to adulthood together.
Daughter Nicole is in contact with an ex and using alcohol as a crutch.
Son Jamie is due to marry his partner Lucy but has developed a crush on a work colleague.

The book is mainly set around different food or drink occasions when one or more family members are together (hence the title). My favourite character was Linda, I thought she was so real and lovely and I liked the parts that made her so human - the perfume, the baby toy. I felt for her.

I also liked Priya - the author could've easily made her so unlikeable but she didn't, and the story was the better for it. It's not a drama-filled action-packed novel - it's a slow, but engaging family drama. I liked it a lot.

At the Table is an impressive debut from Claire Powell. It follows a family across a year, with different characters starring in different chapters. It starts off fairly light-hearted but gradually becomes heavier as you follow the characters and discover the buried struggles and underlying family dramas. I loved the characters Nicole and Jamie and would love to find out what happens next

The author does a great job with character development and reflecting a realistic (albeit dysfunctional) family dynamic.. It's very candid and relatable. thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it!

Such a stunningly written book with some truly wonderful writing. Engaging and enthralling, this is a fascinating look at family dynamics.

I loved this novel and can't wait to see what the author writes next. I particularly liked that you got to see into the lives of all four family members - Linda and Gerry, the parents, then Nicole and Jamie, daughter and son, as they negotiate the relationships in their lives. I see that this has been compared to 'Sorrow and Bliss' but I found 'At the Table' much more engaging and compelling.

Claire Powell's debut is the story of the Maguire family- siblings Nicole and Jamie and their parents Linda and Gerry who announce their separation after over 30 years of marriage. At the Table is a superb dissection of the impact their parent's separation has on Nicole and Jamie and one of the best novels on the subject of family dynamics that I've read. It follows each family member over a year of drinks, lunches and dinners and we get a real insight into the lives of each family member. The author brings each character sensitively and empathically to life and I was particularly drawn to Jamie and his relationship with his fiancee Lucy. Powell writes beautifully and is really skilled at writing dialogue. A wonderful. immersive read that I was sad to finish. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Stunning read - the prose flowed like water and the imagery was stunning. Also Claire is fantastic at realistic dialogue - I am in awe!

Observant and astute, funny and poignant, this is a really terrific read - I loved the way that it was told though the medium of (often excruciating) meals. Absolutely loved it.

When your parents who have been married forever decide to split up, why does everything have to change? Set against a back drop of various social events the Maguire family navigate a turbulent year as they adjust to their new normal. Powell's prose satisfactorily establishes the 4 distinct characters of the Maguire clan and successfully navigates familial drama.