I loved Bryan Washington’s Lot and Memorial, both written with empathy and a wonderful fluency which made Family Meal a dead cert for me. While Lot was particularly striking in its evocation of Houston, Memorial’s loving descriptions of food and cooking stood out vividly. Unsurprisingly, there’s more of that in Family Meal which sees Cam coming home to Houston after his beloved Kai dies. Washington explores friendship, family and grief, prefacing his novel with a typically empathetic and considerate note aimed at readers who may be affected by its references to disordered eating.
I thought of my mother, who simply stood up from the kitchen table in the afternoons, only to sit down having made eight dishes with twenty-four flavours and varying textures.
Cam is working in a bar run by one of Kai’s friends, drowning in a sea of sex and drugs, avoiding food whenever he can. When TJ appears one evening, Cam taunts him a little, asking him if he’s finally out. Cam and TJ were best friends, neighbours whose family took Cam in when his parents were killed in an accident and made him part of their own. They’re very different from each other: Cam escaped Houston as he always said he would, graduating in finance, eventually setting up home with Kai in Los Angeles; TJ helps his mother run the family bakery now that his father is dead. Kai had been a translator, spending time in Japan, the closest relationship Cam has had apart from his bond with TJ with whom he’s hardly communicated for years. The horror of Kai’s death and the guilt he feels has brought Cam back to his home city but not to TJ. When Cam finally unravels it’s TJ and his mother who offer him both a home and work in the bakery after he gets out of rehab.
With every single person we touch, we’re leaving parts of ourselves.
Washington switches between Cam and TJ, taking his time unfolding the story that underpins this connection between two men who are as much family as friends to each other with all the attendant disappointments, irritation and love that can bring. Families, as we know, come in many different forms. Blood ties run undeniably deep, even when we don’t want them to, but less conventional families can be just as strong and loving if not more so, and just as bedevilled by conflict, illustrated beautifully by Washington through these two men and their relationship with each other, and the families around them. There are two short sections narrated by Kai who regularly appears to Cam. It’s a tribute to Washington’s skill that these sit so easily between Cam and TJ’s narratives. A gorgeous novel, both heartrending and heartening, filled with humanity and love, it’s one of my books of the year, for sure.
Atlantic Books: London 9781838954444 320 pages Hardback
There’s no doubt that you’ve sold this author, none of whose books I have read, to me.
He writes extraordinarily well. Three very fine books under his belt already, and he’s only 30.
Oh this does sound good Susan. I’ve not read anything by Washington yet but this appeals.
He’s such a brilliant writer, Cathy. I think you’d enjoy his work.
I’ll have to try this author–your case for them is very compelling! The quote is so interesting because it is true.
Very pleased to hear that. I’d say that quote is indicative of his insightfulness.
Every time you write about one of Washington’s books, I want to read it. This is no exception. Maybe one of these days…
I hope so but so many books… I know.
This sounds really wonderful. You’ve convinced me I’d love this!
There’s pleasing helping of redemption in this one that I think you’d appreciate
I’m glad you’ve reminded me of this author with this review as he would probably suit some of my subscriptions readers. You’ve certainly made a strong case for his books!
He’s such an impressive writer, Jacqui, and a mere stripling at 30!
I wondered if this one would be available to you yet but didn’t want to taunt you with it if it wasn’t! This is definitely going to be on my list of favourites for this year too. I wrote about it for the Chicago Review but felt compelled to leave out so many things that were attached to spoilers (because I loved discovering them on my own and didn’t want to ruin that for anyone else): so delicately and, yet, simultaneously robustly, told. Each of his books has been so solid, I was almost prepared to be disappointed by this one; now it’s hard to imagine his next one bettering all three! But, maybe!
His writing’s extraordinary, isn’t it? Still only 30 with three books to his name of a calibre that many writers would dream of attaining. Fingers crossed for the fourth!
Pleased to see such high praise of a new-to-me author. One to look out for, for sure. It is good to see the idea of family bonds and connections being explored, and differently from the usual lines.
He does that so well! Highly recommend this author. Not far into his career and already three brilliant books published.