Family Meal

A Novel

De: Bryan Washington

Narrado por: André Santana, Bryan Washington, Jake Choi

"Achingly and beautifully etched. . . Washington is a generous and gentle writer, with a profound capacity to face the cruelty and pain of contemporary American life while simultaneously offering his characters—and readers—an expansive space for self-forgiveness, hope, and nourishment."—The Washington Post

An irresistible, intimate novel about how those know us longest—even when they hurt us most—can also set the benchmark for love, from the National Book Award finalist and bestselling author of Memorial and Lot

The ghost of Kai, the love of Cam's life, won't leave Cam alone. He follows Cam from LA back home to Houston, his visits wild, tender, and unpredictable. But Cam has changed, and when he reenters the orbit of his childhood best friend TJ and his family's bakery, neither Cam nor TJ is sure how to navigate their charged estrangement. Searching for a way past all the wounds and secrets—a way to be okay together, maybe for the first time— the pair find hope and sustenance from the most unlikely source.

Layered

I enjoyed the diversity in the characters, the setting (H Town), and the main character’s bond.

Where’s the depth

The story was missing more depth for me, mainly since there was a warning about self-harm, addiction, and disordered eating. I felt these issues could have been more hammered out for me to feel for the characters. The story reads with a lot of “I said, Cam said, TJ said, etc.” Overall, it is a straightforward plot to follow. I just wish more emotion was written to pull me in and to feel for the characters rather than feeling I just listened to them.

Fantastic.

Bryan Washington is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I devoured this book just as I did with Memorial.

Cam and TJ, friends always

3.5 Stars. TJ and Cam, childhood friends who navigate life, loss and friendship. *** very graphic sex is a deep part of the story ***

Emotionally Complex Story

I found the emotionally complex story challenging because it brought back so many ghost memories of lives unlived. While there was plenty of sex, the book was not about that but the relationships between people, themselves, and food. This is a book for foodies and I listened to it while I cooked. The various South Asian cuisines engaged me while the story held my attention. I also enjoyed the African and Asian American storylines we seldom see interwoven. I would recommend this superb book.