Summary and Reviews of Palaver by Bryan Washington

Media Reviews

BookPage (starred review) With Palaver, Washington has again proven himself to be a genius of feeling, a writer who resuscitates our hearts with every word.

Elle Bryan Washington writes about queer relationships and parent-child tensions like he's working with a fine-toothed comb. The emotion he manages to convey in a single line of dialogue? Incredible ... This is a beautiful, beautiful book.

Rolling Stone [Bryan Washington] is at his best when drawing stark lines between distant cities and people. While Palaver drops readers directly into an argumentative and reeling household, the resulting novel is quiet, specific, and, ultimately, a uniquely beautiful read.

Shelf Awareness (starred review) Palaver's broken parent-child bond starts off as defining but melts into part of a whole network of connections. As one character remarks, others 'help us see ourselves clearer' ... This is Washington's best and most moving work yet.

The Boston Globe Rendered in a taut, affecting prose, Washington's third novel portrays a queer Black man's attempts to reconcile emotions surrounding his estranged mother and conflicted relationships from Jamaica to Texas to Japan.

The New York Times [Palaver's] rhythmic interweaving is quite an achievement; the frequent set changes, rather than disrupting or fracturing the narrative, inculcate a hypnotic desire in the reader to keep looking.

Washington Post In between deep dives into the past are wonderfully moody, wholly immersive snapshots of the characters' intersecting present lives, which both propel the narrative forward and contribute to some of its magic ... A heart-wrenchingly honest, often luminescent exploration of how to find and cultivate true connections, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places ... [Palaver is] an unshakable triumph.

The New Yorker Understated yet potent ... Washington examines varying experiences of displacement, writing with tenderness about the tolls of emigration and exile, both cultural and familial ... The text is enhanced by the inclusion of numerous black-and-white photographs of Tokyo.

Time Magazine An intimate look at a young gay man struggling to reconcile with his family.

Kirkus Reviews It's remarkable how delicately and finely Washington metes out the emotional journeys for both mother and son...He's skillful at conveying the ways in which small, even tiny acts of kindness can heal...A patient, powerful analysis of the dual devotion required to heal a fractured relationship.

Library Journal (starred review) Tender and endearing...Count on Washington for stylish tales with emotional depth and, always, delicious-sounding food.

Publishers Weekly A bighearted drama ... The situation is rather straightforward, but Washington's nuanced portrait of the gulf between mother and son and their difficulties bridging it offers keen insights into human relationships ... The author's fans will love this.

 Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less and Less Is Lost Gripping, beautiful, honest, unlike anything else on the bookshelf! A great work by one of America's greatest young writers, Palaver will break and remake your heart. A book I will sending to everyone I know.

 Rachel Khong, author of Real Americans Palaver is an intimate, ambulatory, and deeply human reflection on family and home―on what we choose and what's already chosen for us. It's about our flawed attempts at loving and being loved, forgiving and being forgiven. It's the rare novel that manages to be funny and sad and honest all at once―awake to the mundane miracles of our lives. Bryan Washington is one of a kind.

Reader Reviews

Books with similar themes

• Literary Fiction
  
• Asia
  
• East Asia (except China)
  
• Contemporary
  
• Parenting & Families
  
• Immigrants & Expats
  
• Black Authors
  
• LGBTQ+