At the table is a subtle family drama which centres around a marriage break up of two parents. You get to know the 4 members of the Maguire family across a year intimately which is helped by the change of characters each chapter and the vividness of the writing. I think I would have loved a book for each of these characters which is a testament to the characterisation in such a short book.

I liked the the simplicity of everyday life captured in the book and how normalised the situations were for each character. The book cleverly covered some sensitive topics and showed the flaws and complexities of the family individually and through their relationships which I enjoyed. It was also a reminder of how many conversations happen with food and socialising at the centre which I think set the accessible tone of the book and drew you in.

Overall, I kind of wanted a bit more of a coming together at the end as I was left wanting more but nevertheless an easy read, character focussed book and a great debut!