It took a while for me to get into this book; the chapters are written in first person by different characters that are central to the main story. The plot has many different strands, searching for answers in family history, trying to uncover trauma from within and dealing with love - hidden, unrequited and intense.
Once I'd familiarised myself with the characters and the writint style, I began to really enjoy this book. It's descriptive and intense as it covers interwined stories, none of which are straight forward. I really enjoyed the history that is unveiled - which I won't go into so no spoilers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance review copy.

This book explores the long shadows that our pasts cast upon us, through two interwoven stories in one family. These come spilling out in the course of an idyllic summer day on an island in the Bosporus, as a family prepares for its matriarch’s birthday. ⁣⁣
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The first story, the suspense that underlies the novel, concerns the matriarch and her manservant whose arrival in Istanbul in their youth lies unexplained - where did they come from, why did they leave, and what is this incomprehensible language they speak when they are unaware of being listened to? Turkey’s history is inescapably embedded into their personal narratives, as is the country’s reticence to address the uglier aspects of its past. This is about the stories we refuse to tell. ⁣⁣
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The second story is a love story between a journalist friend and the granddaughter, and it is one of thwarted and unequal love that has endured decades. This then is about the stories we tell ourselves, stories that are often more captivating than the reality in front of us, and that in its repetition trap us in a past that no longer exists. ⁣⁣
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#AtTheBreakfastTable #DefneSuman

I enjoyed this book. Told from the perspectives of four characters; Celine, Nur, Sadik and Burak, the story deals with topics such as love, social status, one's personal history etc.

I felt the island setting was beautifully described and I could visualise the busy market, pier etc. I was engaged throughout and was curious as to Sadik and the grandmother's secret.

What I didn't like were the characters of Nur and Celine, especially Celine. I struggled during any Celine chapter. I found her irritating, self-absorbed and over the top in every scene. Her character for me took away some of my enjoyment reading the book.

A very interesting part of history but unfortunately I couldn't connect to the characters beyond a surface level.

Still I think people who like family dramas or specific parts of unknown history will enjoy this book.

On the event of Shirin Saka’s 101st birthday, her family comes to her home to celebrate - and unearth a family secret. Shirin Saka was a famous artist in Paris, long ago, and so family friend Burak Gocke, a journalist tags along to possibly write a story. Burak has a long on-again, off-again relationship with Nur, Shirin’s granddaughter. Through complicated excavations of the past, each member of the family learns more and more about the hidden layers of the past.

This was a lovely story, full of depth and complexity. Each character has a unique voice, and the story goes in multiple directions

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

At The Breakfast Table was an unexpected but great read for us! We’ll be honest, the cover peaked our interest and we’re SO glad we received this arc. This story follows a Turkish family in Istanbul through one crazy day - a day filled with surprising discoveries and deep family secrets. We were hooked the whole time and the unfolding of the family history was beautifully written and incredibly interesting. The characters felt so realistic and we felt genuine care to for them and how the story fell into place!

WHAT WE LOVED
+ family intricacies and drama
+ a little bit of spice
+ different povs AND hops in the timeline

I struggled to read this book and had to stop. I had trouble following and lost track and therefore interest. I am not sure if it was the characters or the fact that I had a hard time in pronunciation but the read couldn't hold my interest ... sorry :(

this is a lovely novel of love, family and long forgotten choices. I quickly came to love the characters in this book, particularly Nur and Sadik. the story is really tender and emotional and Suman does a great job at pulling you in from the first page.

I absolutely loved the setting of Turkey and island life. all the smells and habitats I could picture perfectly, it was though I was inside the book.

I did, however, feel like it was a book of memories. and maybe it is supposed to be like that and I just wasn’t expecting it at first, but it didn’t feel like a lot was happening in the present and therefore felt a little bored at times. not to mention that some parts I was confused whether it was reality or a memory. not always a bad thing though and if this is how it’s meant to be, I just didn’t get it!

Thanks again to the publisher for sending me this ARC to review!!

Told from four different perspectives, At the Breakfast Table is a story of hidden histories and family secrets. I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t connect with the characters or writing style. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good book, of course—everyone has different tastes so if the description appeals to you, give it a go.

I didn't like this as much as I expected. It's OK and has some interesting plot points. But I didn't want to come back to it as often as others. Suman is a good writer. This one is not her best.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

I quite enjoyed this. The story is being told from the perspective of four different characters who all interact, but each have very different motivations. Because of this, it's hard to see where the story is going at first, but it's great to get different angles as the threads slowly come together. There are a lot of jumps between the present and the past, which can sometimes require a bit of concentration to follow, but overall I found the book easy and pleasant to read. The final reveal of the family secret didn't disappoint either, it was a touching but not overly romanticised story in a beautiful setting.

3.5 Stars

I had previously read <i>The Silence of Scheherazade</i> and the parallels in writing style are instantly recognisable. Once again, author Defne Suman has constructed a beautiful, moving, and dark tale.

<i>At the Breakfast Table</i> is an intriguing story of life, love, and long-held family secrets told from the perspective of four characters. The backdrop is a sun-drenched island off the Turkish coast, complete with its old-world traditions and customs. I particularly loved the rich, descriptive imagery and sensory language, which are classic Suman traits that helped drive the story along. Delightful!

As ever, my thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is told from the perspective of four characters: Celine, Burak, Nur, and Sadik. This honestly wasn't necessary, and Celine and Nur are pretty unlikeable characters - hysterical, wildly emotional, selfish, and self centered.

Ultimately I felt this book had a really interesting story that it mostly skirted over, mainly to spend a lot of time on a love affair and backstory on a love affair that just really wasn't that interesting. I would have loved this book to really tell the story of Shirin and Suheyla and generational trauma. Heck, I would have liked to get chapters from Fikret's perspective as he investigated things rather than the childish whims of Celine, who really brought nothing to the story.

Ultimately this was a bit of a slog for me to get through. It had great potential, but didn't really live up to it.

I really struggled with this book. I didn’t read the full blurb, just the first paragraph and thought it was a standard thriller/ crime/ suspense type book.

I read the first two chapters as I wanted to try but it was a really difficult read and I stopped. I absolutely hate to not finish a book but I couldn’t. A big part of this one for me was that it was all foreign names and lots of characters - so I lost track of what was going on very quickly. Assume people reading it in the language it was written, rather than a translation may find this easier. It probably also says something about my own lack of cultural diversity.

It was not really a style of writing that would be my first choice - it was just hard work and wordy. This said, I certainly wouldn’t say badly written - just not my preferred easy reading style.

I wanted to love it, to finish it, to rate it highly, but I just couldn’t.

“At the Breakfast Table” is by Defne Suman. I liked that it was easy to keep the characters apart - and with four points of view it’s not always easy for me to do that. I found the idea of this book interesting. Including an investigative journalist to uncover “something” I found rather unique. It took me a while to keep the characters apart, but this book is very character driven, which I enjoyed.

AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE REVIEW:

Synopsis:
Told from four different perspectives, there are hidden histories and family secrets revealed.

Prinkipo Island, Turkey, 2017:

A family gathers for the 100th birthday of the famous artist Sirin Saka, but the deep past is something Sirin has spent a lifetime trying to conceal. Her grandchildren, Nur and Fikret, and great-grandchild, Selin, do not know what Sirin is hiding. They are aware of the secret's psychological consequences. The siblings invite family friends 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. Sirin's life-long servant, Sadik, is determined to do all he can to protect the artist.

Review:

First off, I am so happy to have the opportunity to read and review this novel! At the Breakfast Table is full of dark secrets that a family must come to terms with once discovered. The main character will stop at nothing to protect her family from the past she has so desperately tried to keep hidden.

Overall, the plot is deep and well-written with characters that will surely become your new favorites! This was such a fun read to get into. I absolutely love this author!

This book had short chapters, which made this a quick and easy read that was told from four different perspectives. It was well written with a well executed plot and well developed characters that were relatable. It was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this book early. I loved the formatting of this story. Four different points of view all based within and surrounding a family. Short chapters.