Big families do have secrets. Deep hidden secrets that eventually will break the family harmony after some important member of the family dies. It happens to read right now a book nominated for the German Booker Prize where the dead of the father of the family may lead everyone to revelations about themselves and their family history.
At the Breakfast Table by Turkish author Defne Suman translated into English by Betsy Göksel is built around a similar principle. As the legendary artist Sirin Saka is about to celebrate the verable age of 100, her family is happy to gather on Büyükada Island, near Istanbul. Instead of being a moment of unity, this celebration displays in fact the sensitive balance within the family, but also the many cracks which show up on the nicely painted walls protecting it.
Written in a quiet meditative tone, it offers a deep perspective on relatively similar facts, seen through the eyes and experiences of four different family members. Their voices and different angles build up the story, in a way which outlines the common story written together instead of breaking up and insisting on the differences. Each narrator has a distinct personality which amplifies the individual story. In the end, it looks like a musical piece of work, with harmonies smoothly coordinating on different levels
Century old secrets are revealed but no one will desperately dramatically scream upon discovering them. Instead, the story build up from multiple stories really matters as the focus is on telling the story, not taking sides or priviledging one voice against the other(s).
At the Breakfast Table is a beautiful read recommended to anyone who loves to completely forget oneself for delving into a journey across the literary worlds.
Rating: 5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own
Thanks for the blog tour support x
ReplyDeleteThank you for the invitation!
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