I usually don't discover Turkish authors on NetGalley, so this was an exciting find for me! I enjoyed the family histories unearthing along with the brilliant descriptions of the island and the food.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
No interest whatsoever in reading about breederific couples, Nur and Ufuk sound very much like one.

Quote: But I was struggling with that. I doubted I would ever succeed in Plato’s terms, and in my marriage I had assuredly failed. Was a marriage that was not committed to the furthering of the human race really a marriage? Anthropologically speaking, it was not.

What asinine nonsense! What to call a marriage without reproduction? A peaceful one not contingent on doing the most carbon footprint intensive activity two human beings can collectively wreck on this planet.

Other than that, flashback upon flashback in the narrative. Lots of clumsy exposition.

Rather disappointing, because I liked Silence of Scheherazade.

Thanks to Head of Zeus for providing an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

At the Breakfast Table is a wonderfully crafted novel about reconstructing history - what really happened against what was recorded - and what we choose to remember. A familiar tale of dark secrets presented through four generations of one family searching for their identity and subsequent release from the curse seemingly hanging over their crest. A compelling read, beautiful settings and characters full of life’s wonders.

It took a while for me to get into this book, but once I did, I was gripped. Told from four perspectives during one day, family secrets are revealed. Turkey was an additional character here, brought to life by Suman’s deft writing.

Last week I was thoroughly enjoying my vacation with AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE by Defne Sulman. 3.5 Stars

This family drama takes place in 2017 Turkey and centers around the matriarch, Shirin Saka a famous painter's 100th birthday. The story unfolds through the voices of Burak, a journalist with long family ties; Nur, Madam Shirin's granddaughter; Celine, Nur's niece; and Sadik Usta, the longtime servant/caretaker of Madam Shirin. These differing perspectives give a generational sweep of the drama that this family is enduring with a recent push to discover more about their family history. What Madam Shirin finally reveals in her own way will give much to process.

This was a fascinating story that gave me a glimpse of Turkish life. I enjoyed learning more of the present and the past through their recollections.

I admit I had a difficult time with the characters in this story. Nur became hard for me to sympathize with or like, and Celine was just way too juvenile for me to bear. Burak seemed sad and desperate, but I loved Sadik Usta and his loyalty and friendship with Madam Shirin. They shared so much and I would have loved more of his parts. The revelations that were slowly revealed were heavy, heartbreaking, and yet held the love of friends.

This is a translated story and I felt that it was done well. I do wonder if some of my less liked parts had some loss from the change of culture that is likely my loss. I think the writing was lovely, however, and could picture and smell and imagine so much.

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC. It is a lovely family drama with lessons across borders. This book is available now!

Prinkipo Island, Turkey, 2017. A family gather to celebrate the the 100th birthday of famous artist Sirin Saka. In attendance are her granddaughter Nur, Nur's brother Fikret, and Fikret's daughter Celine - and of course, Sirin's life-long servant and friend Sadik, who never leaves her side. They have also invited journalist and family-friend Burak to both share in the quiet celebrations, and record events by interviewing Sirin about her long and eventful life.

This is a family marked by the weight of things unsaid, and difficult relationships that have been unknowingly fashioned by the secrets that Sirin has kept from them. Almost as soon as the little party gathers, the tension is palpable. Fikret is obsessed with finding out more about his grandmother's family history, and urges Burak to probe her memories for details, but Burak's motives for being there actually relate to his desire to reignite the flame that once burned between him and Nur. Meanwhile, Nur is lonely and reflecting on the gulf that has arisen between her and her absent husband Ufuk as a result of secrets of her own, and young Celine is convinced she is in love with Burak. Sirin herself is mostly consumed by the fog of her memories, and all the while Sadik quietly takes care of them all, observing their actions and keeping what he knows close.

The morning before Sirin's birthday, Fikret goes missing. Over the course of a single day the fall-out of Fikret's disappearance sparks many revelations, and Sirin finally tells the tale of the pain and anguish her family have kept hidden for generations in the only way she knows how - by expressing everything she has kept inside through her artistic talents.

The story is told through the eyes of Nur, Celine, Burak and Sadik, crafting a many layered story that beautifully combines a family drama full of aching passion, regret and loss, with a sweeping story of that explores how terrible events from history shape the fate of the generations that follow. I am wary of revealing too much here, as so much is laid bare over the course of this tale, but can tell you that Suman works spellbinding magic in the way she spins every single thread of this incredible book, delving into the private thoughts of, and relationships between, the younger characters, while doing the same in parallel with the mystery of Sirin and Sadik's enmeshed past - and all the while dropping clues that eventually force you to confront some of history's worst moments during the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The characters are necessarily complex and it is not easy to like them all, or the behaviours they exhibit. I was not overly fond of Burak, with his arrogant determination to pursue Nur, nor of Celine's immaturity, but they are factors integral to how this story plays out. My favourite of them all was Sadik, with his attention to the needs of everyone around him, especially in the way he protects Sirin, which was very moving.

If you have read Suman's breath-taking English language debut The Silence of Scheherazade then you will already know how she can bring history alive while immersing you in the lives of living-breathing characters that really drive a story. The cast of characters is much smaller and more intimate here, and the feel of the book is rather different in the way it combines contemporary issues with a difficult past, but the scope of the history she touches upon is every bit as fascinating, and emotionally compelling, and something about the contrast between personal dramas that occupy the younger generations and the heart-rending moments that define Sirin and Sadik's story is magical. I loved the way she ties many of the significant episodes of this book to moments around 'the breakfast table', whispers notions of family insanity, and works in a repeated theme of women's talent being overshadowed that is used subtly, but with real impact.

As in The Silence of Scheherazade, this book is translated with impressive skill by Betsy Gӧksel. This is a book in which you experience every intense moment, and at no time do you feel distanced from the characters, their spirit, or the weight of their burdens. There is such poignancy here and it touches you deeply, which is probably the highest praise I can give to the work of a translator.

This is a powerfully affecting book. It draws you in and gets under your skin, taking you on a journey that stays with you long after your have turned the final page. If you have yet to discover Defne Suman, then you are in for an absolute treat.

Like Suman’s previous book ‘The Silence of Scheherazade’, this book also has the Turkish War for Independence at its heart. Unlike the previous one however, it is set in contemporary Turkey, mainly on the biggest island in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul, and explores how past events are embedded in the genetic memory of a family and how past traumas are passed on from generation to generation.

Whilst I found the execution of this lacking in subtlety, I enjoyed immersing myself in the story of Shirin’s family. The story comes together through four perspectives, the voices of Nur (her granddaughter), Celine (her great-granddaughter), Sadik Usta (her servant and soul mate) and Burak (Nur’s long-time friend and journalist). He joined the family to celebrate Shirin’s 100th birthday and to write a profile about her to add to the other pieces of oral history he regularly publishes.

The tension between those who want to learn what really happened generations before, when Shirin’s father committed suicide at the breakfast table, and those who are afraid of what they might find when delving into the past, is tangible. At the end, it is the old lady herself who feels that a passage into the past has been opened and cannot be ignored any longer. Her revelations tell us the story of the purge of the Pontic Greeks from their home, the Eastern Black Sea, and more specifically, the story of her own family’s survival.

It is, in places, a very moving book and one that takes its time to unfold. I liked it and learnt a bit more about a part of the world that attracts its fair share of sun-seekers but deserves to be known for much more than just its wonderful coastline.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley, Defne and the publisher for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, the short chapters and skipping between perspectives made it move quickly. I enjoyed the writing and the storyline was captivating and engaging.

A book steeped in Turkish history, a sense of place written to match the likes of Elif Shafak, and at times the taut narrative is evocative of André Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name… coming from me, that is all the praise you need.. 🤔

It is 2017 and in Turkey a family gather to celebrate the 100th birthday of the famous artist Shirin Saka. A time for celebration and gentle reflection but there is a hidden history here, which has been buried deeply; a history whose secrets have taken their psychological toll on the subsequent generations; so is it time to unbury the pain and for the family to really come together and heal…

Told from four different perspectives, we gradually piece together the past and we gain an understanding of the family members who do not have a voice in the telling.

Through each flawed protagonist, we gain insight into each of them and an idea of how we got to where we are.

Celina; the young, impetuous great granddaughter who is desperate for attention.

Nur and her journalist lover Burak, both bring depth to the piece and a strong sense of the public consciousness.

And finally, Sadik; he has been in Shirin’s life since childhood. A friend, a servant and now an old man with failing memory. Closest to the woman at the centre of this tale, yet holding her secrets as closely as he is able; her secrets are his and they will stay that way until…

…Until Shirin is ready to reveal them herself, to express her pain the only way she knows how; she paints her story onto her dining room wall.

A love story, a mystery, a beautiful and often heartbreaking, portrayal of the landscapes, culture and history of Turkey but most of all a clever and compassionate examination of generational trauma and the damage that family secrets can produce.

A stunning read.

As with her previous book, The Silence of Scheherazade (which is still on my Kindle waiting to be read), the location of At the Breakfast Table is the author’s native Turkey. Although set in the present day it involves events dating back to the 1920s.

The story is told from four different points of view: journalist, Burak; Shirin Saka’s grandchild, Nur; Celine, Nur’s niece; and Sadik Usta, Shirin Saka’s faithful servant and companion. Although the unfolding of Shirin Saka’s story forms a key element of the book, we never hear from her directly but through the narratives of others. The same is (largely) true of Suheyla, Nur’s dead mother. I confess it took me a little time to get the family relationships straight in my head partly because, although the book does contain a family tree, this wasn’t included in my digital copy. (I was also confused by Shirin Saka sometimes being referred to as Shirin Hanim until I got to the glossary at the end of the book and learned Hanim means Mrs.)

The author creates distinctive narrative voices for each of the four characters. Celine is all breathless excitement at the prospect of discovering her great-grandmother’s story, although she felt rather immature for the age she is supposed to be. Burak is more matter of fact and thoughtful but exudes a real sense of melancholy, mainly because of his complicated relationship with Nur. Sadik Usta tells his story in a restrained way, often referring to himself as ‘I, your humble servant’. His protectiveness towards Shirin Saka (which extends to a reluctance to delve into the past) and his quiet devotion to her, and the family in general, made him my favourite character. Nur was a character I really struggled with. I found her self-obsessed and her treatment of Burak, toying with his affections when it suited her and discarding him at other times, difficult to forgive.

There is a lot of moving back and forth in time, with present day events being described alongside memories of (sometimes quite incidental) past events and the transition between the two not always entirely clear. This is especially the case in the sections told from the point of view of Nur and Burak. One minute they’ve just met, then they’ve broken up because Nur has married someone else, then they’re back in the early days of their relationship.

Between the four different narrators – and through the art made by Shirin Saka – we gradually learn about the early lives of Shirin Saka and Sadik Usta, and the source of their unique bond. It also provides a lesson in a period of Turkish history about which I knew very little and during which shocking events took place. Many of these, sadly, are echoed in events taking place in the world today: cultural and religious persecution, forced migration, extreme nationalism. Look, for instance, at what is taking place with the Uyghurs in China.

At the Breakfast Table is an interesting story of family relationships and exploration of the concept of intergenerational trauma. I also enjoyed the insight into Turkish culture (especially its cuisine) and history. However, the disjointed way in which the story was told and its slow pace meant it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

An insight into Turkish history is weaved into the story of those affected by war. Told from different viewpoints, family struggles, hidden secrets and life's regrets start to surface as the book progresses.

Very enjoyable! Four interesting characters dealing with the present and the past; a past which is a conundrum in a variety of ways: familial, romantic, politic (at a state and personal level). The four perspectives are satisfyingly diverse and the puzzle is put together by the reader with the right amount of effort. The setting, contemporary Istanbul, and the cultural milieu (secular and intellectual middle class), make it also particularly interesting for me as I don’t know much about Turkey. There were some longueurs but the writing is compelling. The translation has no awkwardness. Recommended: serious entertainment.

Every family has its secrets. Whether they are of potentially ruinous revelations or not, they are generally held close to the chest of their keepers for fear of what they could do to the family itself and those outside looking in, who seldom let a rational perspective or the facts stand in the way of judgement.

In Suman’s emotionally charged novel, At the Breakfast Table, the family of artist Sirin Saka have gathered to celebrate a milestone event at their ancestral family home on Büyükada, only a short ferry ride from bustling Istanbul but a world away in its rustic temperament.

Of course, in the days leading up to that momentous event, secrets begin to emerge, some small but meaningful for those affected by them, and a big one that Saka, and her friend Sadik, have kept hidden for near on a century.

The breaking of these revelations between generations and between the conventional family history is already painful enough, even though it does receive a significant push along when Burak, a family friend of many years who is deeply in love with Saka’s granddaughter Nur and who has become known for his journalistic talents.

Burak is there to interview Saka; on the first morning, he is at a breakfast table lavishly decorated by Sadik, who is in his early 90s but as committed and devoted as ever to the welfare of his beloved Saka. Burak wants to talk to the artist, who is ready to speak in a way the once-fiery rule-breaker often isn’t in her old age.

While Burak’s is not an aggressive interview style, Saka doesn’t confess there, and then, enough is suggested for Burak to come to understand there is more to her story than has previously been hinted at.

Problems arise when the family isn’t eager to uncover the dark truth of their shared past, but reality, once hinted at, often breaks mercilessly free regardless, and so it is in At the Breakfast Table, which, told from various perspectives slowly builds the portrait of a family with a great deal to learn about each other.

This is an evocative and deftly written book in which steady pacing allows secrets to be revealed memory by memory, the product of incremental admissions that together, over time, build a world that the recipients never knew existed.

Why background should be such a family secret? When it brings so many painful memories back, when that background means you unwillingly did unspeakable things to protect one side you hold more dear while sacrificing the other side, when it means the difference between life and death, backgrounds become a family secret. But they need to come out when it is safe to speak about the to remember those you left behind.

This wealthy family with a great matron who was going to celebrate her 100th birthday got together for this joyous event and also holidays. A journalist friend was invited too to record such momentous event because matron happened to be a very famous painter back in her time. This family and friends gathering turned into means to uncover many family secrets past and present. It depicted what it means to be a family, how sacrifices changed from past to present: while struggles were different, end game was the same.

Also this passage resonated so much with me; I couldn’t stop referencing: “I have always found the sea more seductive than any man. No amount of lovemaking can match the feeling of wholeness that infuses my soul when I dive into the water. I adore the way my body gradually adjusts to the sea's hardness, its coolness. Even as a child, a most wonderful sensation would spread through me - a sensation that today I know as sexual pleasure - whenever I leapt off our wooden jetty into the sea. The sea was so vast and I was so tiny, so incomplete. Real life, a faraway port, would begin when I grew up. Until I reached that port, I would just be play-acting. This is meant to be my house. Here is the living room, the kitchen. I am meant to be the lady of the house and you, my dollies, are meant to be my children, but you aren't really. This isn't actually my house, it's a corner of my grandmother's garden, and I am not yet a beautiful, grown-up lady, I'm just practising right now.”

A well-written and well-plotted story about families and deep secrets the main protagonist is desperate to keep hidden. The story is told from four different perspectives which does require some concentration but overall, it's a lovely story and was a real pleasure to read with wonderful descriptions of Turkey as the setting.

At the Breakfast Table evokes the sparkling, bright Turkish sunshine, the fragrance of coffee, fruit, and fresh bread, and mesmerizes with the fascinating and complicated characters who make up this story.
Nur, Fikret, and Celine come to Shirin's house to celebrate her 100th birthday. She is Nur and Fikret's grandmother, and Celine's great-grandmother, as well as a famous artist. There is also Burak, Nur's on-again off-again lover and friend, and the Shirin's faithful servant, Sadik.

This begins an unboxing of personal and family secrets Shirin has kept close for years, as well as a lesson in Turkish history, told mostly through painting on her dining room wall.
A beautiful novel; one that will be lovely to read during cold winter months. Highly recommended!

*Thanks to Apollo and NetGalley for the free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled a little with this book and I think it was just a conflict of taste and was just not quite the style of book I like to read. I found the pace just a little too slow for me. The settings of this book however were described perfectly and patinetes a real picture

Do you believe that past trauma can be passed down through the generations and doom grandchildren and great-grandchildren to carry the curse of their grandparents before them? How can an event no one can remember have such lingering effects? Told in alternating POV we take a mysterious journey through the life of Sirin Saka and the ones who came not only after her, but before in an examination of a family's innermost thoughts, insecurities, and hidden demons.

I'm not going to lie, I had a hard time getting into this book due to the setting and voice of some of the characters. This story takes place in Turkey, a region I have next to no knowledge of, so the locations mentioned held no meaning or significance for me. The language used for family members and social status were also confusing at first and required research before I could fully understand who was who and what was happening. I really enjoyed the voices of Nur and Burak but found some of the other characters almost impossible to get through. That being said, I am glad I read it because it is out of the norm for me and I believe that exposure to alternative works are good for everyone. The intrigue was enough to keep you interested and the story was woven together well with past and present through different voices.

At The Breakfast Table is a beautifully written, slow-burning novel, which manages to combine levels of mystery and intrigue with politics, family relationships, trauma, heart-ache and long-held secrets.

As a family gathers for the 100th birthday of their matriarch, famous artist Sirin Saka, celebration isn't the only plan for the weekend. Sirin's family feel she is hiding a great secret, and so invite investigative journalist and close family friend Barak along to interview Sirin on the weekend of her gathering, hoping he will be able to pry the past from her memory, as before long it may be gone for good.

Told from the perspective of four characters: Barak, Celine (Sirin's great-granddaughter), Sadik (Sirin's life-long servant), and Nur (Sirin's granddaughter), the reader gets a truly in-depth look into countless areas and genres of this families life, and the complicated dynamics and relationships that come with it. Suman's prose is stunning, and incredibly descriptive, but it is unique, and can certainly be awkward at times. If this doesn't bother you too much, however, then it's definitely worth the plight.

Read this if you like: Multiple POVs, deep stories, family bonds

This book was published in 2018 but newly translated to English. It's a literary fiction, which I personally usually find to be slow. I really enjoyed this book. The story telling reminded me of Elif Shafak's books.

This is told from four different perspectives. It's a story of hidden histories and family secrets. We are starting at Prinkipo Island in Turkey, 2017. In the glow of a late summer morning, family gather for the 100th birthday of the famous artist Sirin Saka. It should to be a time of looking back on beautiful memories spanning almost a century, her amazing art career, and of an era when imperial forces fought over her homeland.

The issue is that Sirin has spent a lifetime trying to conceal a past from her family. Her grandchildren, Nur and Fikret, and great grandchild, Selin, do not know what Sirin is hiding. They are intimately aware of the secret's psychological consequences. The siblings invite family friend and investigative journalist Burak along to interview Sirin for his weekly column in celebration of her 100th year. They hope he will help unravel the family secrets and persuade her to talk.

This is a deep thought provoking read and I really liked it. I recommend you pick this up tomorrow.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Head Of Zeus for the gifted copy!