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Palaver
A life-affirming novel of family, mending, and how we learn to love, from the award-winning Bryan Washington.
In Tokyo, the son works as an English tutor, drinking his nights away with friends at a gay bar. He’s entangled in a sexual relationship with a married man, and while he has built a chosen family in Japan, he is estranged from his family in Houston, particularly his mother, whose preference for the son’s oft-troubled homophobic brother, Chris, pushed him to leave home. Then, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, ten years since they’ve last seen each other, the mother arrives uninvited on his doorstep.
Separated only by the son’s cat, Taro, the two of them bristle against each other immediately. The mother, wrestling with memories of her youth in Jamaica and her own complicated brother, works to reconcile her good intentions with her missteps. The son struggles to forgive. But as life begins to steer them in unexpected directions— the mother to a tentative friendship with a local bistro owner, and the son to cautiously getting to know a new patron of the bar—the two of them begin to see each other more clearly. Sharing meals and conversations and an eventful trip to Nara, both mother and son try the best they can to define where “home” really is—and whether they can find it even in each other.
Written with understated humor and an open heart, moving through past and present and across Houston, Jamaica, and Japan, Bryan Washington’s Palaver is an intricate story of family, love, and the beauty of a life among others.
In Tokyo, the son works as an English tutor, drinking his nights away with friends at a gay bar. He’s entangled in a sexual relationship with a married man, and while he has built a chosen family in Japan, he is estranged from his family in Houston, particularly his mother, whose preference for the son’s oft-troubled homophobic brother, Chris, pushed him to leave home. Then, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, ten years since they’ve last seen each other, the mother arrives uninvited on his doorstep.
Separated only by the son’s cat, Taro, the two of them bristle against each other immediately. The mother, wrestling with memories of her youth in Jamaica and her own complicated brother, works to reconcile her good intentions with her missteps. The son struggles to forgive. But as life begins to steer them in unexpected directions— the mother to a tentative friendship with a local bistro owner, and the son to cautiously getting to know a new patron of the bar—the two of them begin to see each other more clearly. Sharing meals and conversations and an eventful trip to Nara, both mother and son try the best they can to define where “home” really is—and whether they can find it even in each other.
Written with understated humor and an open heart, moving through past and present and across Houston, Jamaica, and Japan, Bryan Washington’s Palaver is an intricate story of family, love, and the beauty of a life among others.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2025
461 people are currently reading
21642 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Washington
13 books1,538 followersBryan Washington is an American writer. He published his debut short story collection, Lot, in 2019 and a novel, Memorial, in 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 603 reviews
September 12, 2025
Now Nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction 2025
There is something very comforting about Washington's new novel which ponders the meaning of home, belonging and connection: Crafted around an estranged, nameless mother-son duo, the author shows a variety of constellations people have chosen and nurtured to function as their community or family - the term "work in progress" features again and again in the text. The gay son has fled the homophobia of his family, leaving his widowed Jamaican mother and incarcerated brother in Texas and making a new home in Tokyo's queer community, where he falls in love with a married man. He and his friends with different social and ethnic backgrounds regularly meet in a bar run by a trans man, forming a diverse, supportive network. Then, the mother travels to Tokyo to re-connect with her son...
This novel is hardly about the plot, or rather: The plot is nothing but a slow reveal of what actually happened between mother and son back in Texas, and how both of them strike new, surprising connections in Tokyo, where the foreign becomes familiar and then beloved. Washington defies categories like heteronormativity, monogamy, ageism, cultural difference, the binary, or traditional ideas of marriage and family, and his position is convincing not because he is making a logical argument, no: As this is fiction, he just shows what love and friendship can look like. You read it and you think: Yes, of course, what idiot would question that? (Many idiots do still question it, of course, which renders such novels politically relevant.)
But yes, the whole Houston / Tokyo connection is pretty close to his last novel, Memorial, and the way the text goes through different constellations also has something of going through the motions, showcasing example after example. The effect is that the story sometimes comes to a halt and in parts feels a little forced, although overall, the construction of the mosaic with side characters and flash backs is well exercised. The mother is not fully plausible, considering what she went through, but the character of the son is stellar, lively and psychologically convincing.
Now I'm really curious what Washington will do next, because it really can't remain on familiar territory anymore. He needs to switch it up, and I believe that he absolutely has it in him. I'll certainly be reading it.
There is something very comforting about Washington's new novel which ponders the meaning of home, belonging and connection: Crafted around an estranged, nameless mother-son duo, the author shows a variety of constellations people have chosen and nurtured to function as their community or family - the term "work in progress" features again and again in the text. The gay son has fled the homophobia of his family, leaving his widowed Jamaican mother and incarcerated brother in Texas and making a new home in Tokyo's queer community, where he falls in love with a married man. He and his friends with different social and ethnic backgrounds regularly meet in a bar run by a trans man, forming a diverse, supportive network. Then, the mother travels to Tokyo to re-connect with her son...
This novel is hardly about the plot, or rather: The plot is nothing but a slow reveal of what actually happened between mother and son back in Texas, and how both of them strike new, surprising connections in Tokyo, where the foreign becomes familiar and then beloved. Washington defies categories like heteronormativity, monogamy, ageism, cultural difference, the binary, or traditional ideas of marriage and family, and his position is convincing not because he is making a logical argument, no: As this is fiction, he just shows what love and friendship can look like. You read it and you think: Yes, of course, what idiot would question that? (Many idiots do still question it, of course, which renders such novels politically relevant.)
But yes, the whole Houston / Tokyo connection is pretty close to his last novel, Memorial, and the way the text goes through different constellations also has something of going through the motions, showcasing example after example. The effect is that the story sometimes comes to a halt and in parts feels a little forced, although overall, the construction of the mosaic with side characters and flash backs is well exercised. The mother is not fully plausible, considering what she went through, but the character of the son is stellar, lively and psychologically convincing.
Now I'm really curious what Washington will do next, because it really can't remain on familiar territory anymore. He needs to switch it up, and I believe that he absolutely has it in him. I'll certainly be reading it.
January 26, 2026
Bryan Washington’s seductive, slice-of-life novel grew out of a short story centred on a conversation between a mother and a son, a relationship that’s the focus here too. It’s largely set in Shin-Ōkubo in Tokyo known for its diverse inhabitants and bustling Korean community. It’s a place Washington knows well, originally based in America he now resides full-time in Japan. The two main characters are referred to only as ‘mother’ and as ‘son’, a creative choice that emphasizes the social and cultural connotations and expectations arising from these kinds of familial designations, some of which are reinforced, some of which subtly undermined. Although it also underlines this mother and son’s inability to see each other as fully-formed individuals in their own right. The story shifts between their perspectives, revealing formative events from their past via inner thoughts and memories. The mother and son are effectively estranged, the son has been in Japan for twelve years, making a living as an English tutor. Now he’s grappling with the fallout from his long affair with married man Taku, and spends much of his spare time with found family in nearby gay district Ni-chōme.
It’s close to Christmas and after years of little to no contact the mother arrives in Japan to stay with her son in the miniscule apartment where he lives with cat Taro. Much of the tension between mother and son appears to stem from her cultural heritage, the mother eventually settled in America after leaving home in Jamaica – often referred to as one of the most dangerous places in the world for queer people. But we eventually learn that the mother’s conflicted feelings about her son’s identity also trace back to the fate of her brother who died from an AIDS-related illness. The son experienced his childhood and existence as her son as deeply traumatic, made more so by the complicated interplay between them and his older, homophobic brother Chris. Trauma that’s still very much with him. The backstories of mother and son break up the narrative, injecting moments of high drama which I sometimes found more disruptive than enlightening. I much preferred the more elliptical elements of Washington’s text.
In Japan the mother and son’s everyday seems relatively calm, despite their obvious lack of ease. The mother cleans the son’s apartment, the son ventures out to meet students and socialise with friends. Washington’s adept at conveying a strong sense of place and atmosphere, he’s particularly good at representing the ways in which people might adapt to liminal living, the mother’s not strictly a tourist but nor is she a local. Like many of us who’ve been in similar situations, the mother gradually establishes her own rhythms and rituals, the café where she has breakfast, the shops where she goes to buy food. And she strikes up a precarious friendship with a local baker who provides an outlet for her to talk about her son and her desire to connect with him. It’s these more meditative aspects of the story, the ways in which the mother and son attempt to shape their respective worlds, their everyday interactions, the representation of Tokyo’s queer communities, and the depiction of how the mother and son’s worldviews are inflected by being in Japan that I found particularly satisfying – at times reminiscent of Jessica Au’s work. Tokyo itself becomes a central character, reinforced by the smattering of grainy black-and-white photos of the son’s district and surrounds that surface throughout. The ending is perhaps a little too pat but I enjoyed much of what led up to it. So, despite some slightly jarring episodes, an immersive, compelling read.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Farrar, Strauss and Giroux for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
It’s close to Christmas and after years of little to no contact the mother arrives in Japan to stay with her son in the miniscule apartment where he lives with cat Taro. Much of the tension between mother and son appears to stem from her cultural heritage, the mother eventually settled in America after leaving home in Jamaica – often referred to as one of the most dangerous places in the world for queer people. But we eventually learn that the mother’s conflicted feelings about her son’s identity also trace back to the fate of her brother who died from an AIDS-related illness. The son experienced his childhood and existence as her son as deeply traumatic, made more so by the complicated interplay between them and his older, homophobic brother Chris. Trauma that’s still very much with him. The backstories of mother and son break up the narrative, injecting moments of high drama which I sometimes found more disruptive than enlightening. I much preferred the more elliptical elements of Washington’s text.
In Japan the mother and son’s everyday seems relatively calm, despite their obvious lack of ease. The mother cleans the son’s apartment, the son ventures out to meet students and socialise with friends. Washington’s adept at conveying a strong sense of place and atmosphere, he’s particularly good at representing the ways in which people might adapt to liminal living, the mother’s not strictly a tourist but nor is she a local. Like many of us who’ve been in similar situations, the mother gradually establishes her own rhythms and rituals, the café where she has breakfast, the shops where she goes to buy food. And she strikes up a precarious friendship with a local baker who provides an outlet for her to talk about her son and her desire to connect with him. It’s these more meditative aspects of the story, the ways in which the mother and son attempt to shape their respective worlds, their everyday interactions, the representation of Tokyo’s queer communities, and the depiction of how the mother and son’s worldviews are inflected by being in Japan that I found particularly satisfying – at times reminiscent of Jessica Au’s work. Tokyo itself becomes a central character, reinforced by the smattering of grainy black-and-white photos of the son’s district and surrounds that surface throughout. The ending is perhaps a little too pat but I enjoyed much of what led up to it. So, despite some slightly jarring episodes, an immersive, compelling read.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Farrar, Strauss and Giroux for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
September 23, 2025
Washington's prose is always elegant and emotionally resonant in its simplicity. His characters, in this one only dubbed 'the son' and 'the mother' are seeking absolution from past mistakes but initially unable to look past their shortcomings. Their steady devotion to one another, and to the found families in their lives, helps lend them an empathetic quality making up for their often frustrating inability to be fully present for each other and themselves. We don't know them as well as they don't know themselves. This creates a beautiful space for them to slowly reveal themselves to one another and along the way find what it means to make peace with the past and look forward to a brighter future.
As with his other novels, Washington focuses heavily on food, sex, bars, and in this one the setting of Tokyo strongly permeates the novel, which I loved. There are quick glimpses into the lives of these characters, both from the past and the present, to try and provide us with context--but they often remain aloof. I enjoyed reading this as much as I also felt detached at times. It's a simple and touching story that veers into sentimentality, perhaps a bit too sweet for my taste with dialogue that borders on cliche from time to time. It's balanced with some subtly beautiful moments of quietude that Washington writes so well making this, not necessarily a stellar read, but one that offers a reprieve from the noise of the larger world outside of the characters' spheres.
As with his other novels, Washington focuses heavily on food, sex, bars, and in this one the setting of Tokyo strongly permeates the novel, which I loved. There are quick glimpses into the lives of these characters, both from the past and the present, to try and provide us with context--but they often remain aloof. I enjoyed reading this as much as I also felt detached at times. It's a simple and touching story that veers into sentimentality, perhaps a bit too sweet for my taste with dialogue that borders on cliche from time to time. It's balanced with some subtly beautiful moments of quietude that Washington writes so well making this, not necessarily a stellar read, but one that offers a reprieve from the noise of the larger world outside of the characters' spheres.
July 14, 2025
At this point, if you’ve read one Bryan Washington book, you’ve read them all, good and bad. In Palaver, we follow “the son” and “the mother” (the Holy Spirit may appear in a direct sequel) as you’re led into this strained relationship. We learn slowly what’s led to these two feeling so distant (beyond geography — the mother visits Japan from Houston) over the 300+ pages to mixed results.
Like Washington’s “Memorial” from a few years back, we’re joining characters who are in the midst of falling apart and potentially coming together. It works here most of the time, but in other moments, feels hollow and stilted. There are other characters here too who are sometimes more interesting but don’t stick around much. Washington also continues his “no quotation marks” and flipping between past and present without warning from his other work. Mileage will vary here. Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this (very early) ARC.
Like Washington’s “Memorial” from a few years back, we’re joining characters who are in the midst of falling apart and potentially coming together. It works here most of the time, but in other moments, feels hollow and stilted. There are other characters here too who are sometimes more interesting but don’t stick around much. Washington also continues his “no quotation marks” and flipping between past and present without warning from his other work. Mileage will vary here. Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this (very early) ARC.
November 13, 2025
How does Bryan Washington do it? I’m 3/3 with his books including his latest, Palaver.
A mother arrives unannounced to visit her estranged son in Japan. There’s a lot of tension between the two, with plenty that’s been left unsaid. The son goes about his day-to-day, a bit puzzled by the mother’s presence, and the mother fills her own days, exploring Tokyo and reflecting on her past. Family, friendship, and forgiveness are themes in Palaver.
Typically when I hear or notice a book has a stream of consciousness style, or is full of vignettes, I’m wary — these often don’t work for me and I have a hard time enjoying them, but Washington has a gift. He has a way with words that makes me not mind these styles and I’ve come to actually enjoy it in his stories.
Palaver has a strong sense of place and offers a substantive story with a lot of dynamics to think about — 4.5 stars
A mother arrives unannounced to visit her estranged son in Japan. There’s a lot of tension between the two, with plenty that’s been left unsaid. The son goes about his day-to-day, a bit puzzled by the mother’s presence, and the mother fills her own days, exploring Tokyo and reflecting on her past. Family, friendship, and forgiveness are themes in Palaver.
Typically when I hear or notice a book has a stream of consciousness style, or is full of vignettes, I’m wary — these often don’t work for me and I have a hard time enjoying them, but Washington has a gift. He has a way with words that makes me not mind these styles and I’ve come to actually enjoy it in his stories.
Palaver has a strong sense of place and offers a substantive story with a lot of dynamics to think about — 4.5 stars
April 7, 2025
Thank you very much to the publisher for providing me an advanced review copy of this book.
A son, a mother. Both a bit broken by the other, Palaver is a documentation of the first step in the healing process and how we find home in others. This ended up being slightly different from what I expected, but it was still a quite enjoyable read.
The son lives in Tokyo. Originally from Texas, the child of Jamaican immigrants, he felt that he had no choice but to leave. Has father dead, his brother broken from war, and his mother has seemingly made her choice. So the son leaves. He tries to make a new home as far away from his old one as possible, and he does find his people in the Tokyo queer community. Some are other immigrants, some are locals, but all have a part of themselves to share with the son. The mother arrives with next to no warning. It has been years since she has seen her son, so she makes the time to see him, arriving in a new place she's never really dreamed of going to and without a plan for when she's there. Tokyo may be new to her, but finding herself in a new place unexpectedly is not. She left Jamaica when she was a young adult with her friends, leaving her brother behind. A brother she cared so deeply about, and who reminds her of her son. These are the things she wants to talk to her son about, but his heart is just too hurt. He struggles with accommodating his mother unexpectedly, reigning in his feelings of animosity, and wrestling with complications with his life in Tokyo, and the mother is doing nothing to help him, as she harbors pains of her own. As the mother's trip unfolds, confessions and pleas come to light, and both the mother and the son can't help but come out of it changed people.
If I were to use one word to describe this book, it would be "intimate". This was a deeply intimate lens into two peoples lives from their childhood to current day. We got to spend a lot of time with each of them, and watch them as they wrestle with their stormy thoughts and emotions, both hurting and healing the other time and time again. I was expecting this to be a book solely about the resolution, or destruction, of the relationship between the son and the mother, but we got so much more. In fact, the majority of this book the son and the mother were not together, each spending time apart and wrestling with their emotions. And this is something that I think could have been a bit better.
The son was hurt, I really get that. We spend a lot of time with him in the present day reflecting on how hurt he was. We spend time with him in his past, learning about what led to him leaving. But we never really get The Moment that hurt him. I never really truly understood what happened, why he left, why he was harboring so much animosity towards his mother, or his brother. And you might think that this was an intentional decision, that we never learn about The Inciting Incident that broke this family apart, but that's not exactly the case. I think we do see that moment, but from my perspective I was left thinking... that's it? That's what drove the wedge? I don't get it.. And that's not to dismiss his actions, emotions are weird things. But I feel as if we were supposed to really empathize with the son in this moment, but I found myself more confused than anything about what exactly happened.
The mother was a different beast. I think the intention was for her to be sort of headstrong, but she came off more often as petulant. The son always felt like the mature one while the mother spared no moment to throw a barb the son's way. Considering the fact that she made the choice to come see her son and, supposedly, start the process of repairing their relationship, I guess I would have expected that she would make more of an effort rather than showing up and being unpleasant to him the entire time while he only reacted stoically. I appreciated the evolving relationship we got between the son and the mother, but the son's animosity mixed with the mother's immaturity dampened what I felt could have been a more impactful developing relationship.
That aside, I really REALLY loved the stories about each of the son's and mother's lives independently. I loved the care and attention to detail devoted to fleshing out the son's various friends and lovers. I loved his relationship with his students, and I loved the glimpses we got into his past. I loved the mother's journey in growing accustomed to Tokyo, her interactions with Ben, and the cultural differences she faced at every corner. Probably my favorite part of the book was learning about the mother's past, her brother, and her friends. I think it did a really good job of setting the stage for why she is like she is as an adult, and made her to be very sympathetic for a story that could have easily written her off as more of the "villain" of the two.
Despite a few head scratching character decisions, this was an enjoyable read. I love strong character driven books, and I found this to be a novel, well-done story that put complex character development to the forefront.
A son, a mother. Both a bit broken by the other, Palaver is a documentation of the first step in the healing process and how we find home in others. This ended up being slightly different from what I expected, but it was still a quite enjoyable read.
The son lives in Tokyo. Originally from Texas, the child of Jamaican immigrants, he felt that he had no choice but to leave. Has father dead, his brother broken from war, and his mother has seemingly made her choice. So the son leaves. He tries to make a new home as far away from his old one as possible, and he does find his people in the Tokyo queer community. Some are other immigrants, some are locals, but all have a part of themselves to share with the son. The mother arrives with next to no warning. It has been years since she has seen her son, so she makes the time to see him, arriving in a new place she's never really dreamed of going to and without a plan for when she's there. Tokyo may be new to her, but finding herself in a new place unexpectedly is not. She left Jamaica when she was a young adult with her friends, leaving her brother behind. A brother she cared so deeply about, and who reminds her of her son. These are the things she wants to talk to her son about, but his heart is just too hurt. He struggles with accommodating his mother unexpectedly, reigning in his feelings of animosity, and wrestling with complications with his life in Tokyo, and the mother is doing nothing to help him, as she harbors pains of her own. As the mother's trip unfolds, confessions and pleas come to light, and both the mother and the son can't help but come out of it changed people.
If I were to use one word to describe this book, it would be "intimate". This was a deeply intimate lens into two peoples lives from their childhood to current day. We got to spend a lot of time with each of them, and watch them as they wrestle with their stormy thoughts and emotions, both hurting and healing the other time and time again. I was expecting this to be a book solely about the resolution, or destruction, of the relationship between the son and the mother, but we got so much more. In fact, the majority of this book the son and the mother were not together, each spending time apart and wrestling with their emotions. And this is something that I think could have been a bit better.
The son was hurt, I really get that. We spend a lot of time with him in the present day reflecting on how hurt he was. We spend time with him in his past, learning about what led to him leaving. But we never really get The Moment that hurt him. I never really truly understood what happened, why he left, why he was harboring so much animosity towards his mother, or his brother. And you might think that this was an intentional decision, that we never learn about The Inciting Incident that broke this family apart, but that's not exactly the case. I think we do see that moment, but from my perspective I was left thinking... that's it? That's what drove the wedge? I don't get it.. And that's not to dismiss his actions, emotions are weird things. But I feel as if we were supposed to really empathize with the son in this moment, but I found myself more confused than anything about what exactly happened.
The mother was a different beast. I think the intention was for her to be sort of headstrong, but she came off more often as petulant. The son always felt like the mature one while the mother spared no moment to throw a barb the son's way. Considering the fact that she made the choice to come see her son and, supposedly, start the process of repairing their relationship, I guess I would have expected that she would make more of an effort rather than showing up and being unpleasant to him the entire time while he only reacted stoically. I appreciated the evolving relationship we got between the son and the mother, but the son's animosity mixed with the mother's immaturity dampened what I felt could have been a more impactful developing relationship.
That aside, I really REALLY loved the stories about each of the son's and mother's lives independently. I loved the care and attention to detail devoted to fleshing out the son's various friends and lovers. I loved his relationship with his students, and I loved the glimpses we got into his past. I loved the mother's journey in growing accustomed to Tokyo, her interactions with Ben, and the cultural differences she faced at every corner. Probably my favorite part of the book was learning about the mother's past, her brother, and her friends. I think it did a really good job of setting the stage for why she is like she is as an adult, and made her to be very sympathetic for a story that could have easily written her off as more of the "villain" of the two.
Despite a few head scratching character decisions, this was an enjoyable read. I love strong character driven books, and I found this to be a novel, well-done story that put complex character development to the forefront.
March 26, 2025
I’m genuinely torn on this one. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. If Goodreads allowed half ratings, this would be the first time I’d use one. I’m stuck somewhere between a 2.5 and 3.
The writing is minimal and distant, relying on short dialogue and subtle hints at the characters’ emotions rather than fully exploring them. The two main characters are never named, they’re only referred to only as “the mother” and “the son”. Maybe to keep the focus on their strained relationship? While their dynamic is somewhat compelling, the detached writing style made it hard to connect with them. At times, it felt more observational, as if watching their interactions from a distance rather than experiencing them firsthand.
The story shifts between past and present without warning, which does add a raw, memory like feel. But at times, the transitions feel abrupt and I personally thought they could have been smoother. The side characters felt more like background figures, existing only within their conversations. There is little backstory to them, and I found it made the story feel a bit hollow. I didn’t necessarily need more insight into the side characters themselves. But I would have liked more context about the main character’s relationship with them. Something to make their presence more meaningful.
That said, I really enjoyed the slice-of-life photos of Japan between chapters. They added a nice touch of grounding, and a visual reminder of the world the characters inhabit. In contrast to the fragmented narrative, they helped set the atmosphere and made the story feel more tangible. Plus, I really just like photos with a film feel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC!
The writing is minimal and distant, relying on short dialogue and subtle hints at the characters’ emotions rather than fully exploring them. The two main characters are never named, they’re only referred to only as “the mother” and “the son”. Maybe to keep the focus on their strained relationship? While their dynamic is somewhat compelling, the detached writing style made it hard to connect with them. At times, it felt more observational, as if watching their interactions from a distance rather than experiencing them firsthand.
The story shifts between past and present without warning, which does add a raw, memory like feel. But at times, the transitions feel abrupt and I personally thought they could have been smoother. The side characters felt more like background figures, existing only within their conversations. There is little backstory to them, and I found it made the story feel a bit hollow. I didn’t necessarily need more insight into the side characters themselves. But I would have liked more context about the main character’s relationship with them. Something to make their presence more meaningful.
That said, I really enjoyed the slice-of-life photos of Japan between chapters. They added a nice touch of grounding, and a visual reminder of the world the characters inhabit. In contrast to the fragmented narrative, they helped set the atmosphere and made the story feel more tangible. Plus, I really just like photos with a film feel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC!
January 25, 2026
Written with heart, tender and deeply moving, a story of a mother and son that I won’t forget
When I opened PALAVER, I did not expect to be taken on the most beautiful journey. Set mostly in Tokyo, we meet a son who left the US to teach English and build a new life. His new life includes being in an entanglement with a married man whose wife recently gave birth to a son. Added to this, he is estranged from his family in the US, them being the main reason he decided to move to Tokyo and never look back Fast forward to Christmas and his Mom decides to visit him in Tokyo after not seeing each other in over ten years.
The book is told from the perspective of the son and the mom and how they experience life but more importantly, being together in a tight space. For the Mom, she thinks about her life growing up ion Jamaica and how that shaped her as a mother. Then there is the son who must now change his life in Tokyo to accommodate the Mom as they figure out a new way forward.
For me, I always roll my eyes because we know how Moms can be with their sons, but this book turned everything I thought on its head. The writer did an excellent job of taking us into the world of two people who are trying their best, failing in some instances but also working on things together. I loved all the tender moments between the mother and son, particularly when they spoke frankly of all the failings to each other. But there is also the romance and the humor and how deeply vulnerable they can be.
Set in Houston, Jamaica and Japan, we meet fully developed characters who will live in your head rent free.
When I opened PALAVER, I did not expect to be taken on the most beautiful journey. Set mostly in Tokyo, we meet a son who left the US to teach English and build a new life. His new life includes being in an entanglement with a married man whose wife recently gave birth to a son. Added to this, he is estranged from his family in the US, them being the main reason he decided to move to Tokyo and never look back Fast forward to Christmas and his Mom decides to visit him in Tokyo after not seeing each other in over ten years.
The book is told from the perspective of the son and the mom and how they experience life but more importantly, being together in a tight space. For the Mom, she thinks about her life growing up ion Jamaica and how that shaped her as a mother. Then there is the son who must now change his life in Tokyo to accommodate the Mom as they figure out a new way forward.
For me, I always roll my eyes because we know how Moms can be with their sons, but this book turned everything I thought on its head. The writer did an excellent job of taking us into the world of two people who are trying their best, failing in some instances but also working on things together. I loved all the tender moments between the mother and son, particularly when they spoke frankly of all the failings to each other. But there is also the romance and the humor and how deeply vulnerable they can be.
Set in Houston, Jamaica and Japan, we meet fully developed characters who will live in your head rent free.
owned-tbr
March 26, 2025I NEED THIS BOOK IN MY HANDS
Edit 26/3/2025- Received the arc. Nobody talk to me. See my previous reviews of Bryan Washington's Novels.
1. Memorial review
2. Family Meal review
Edit 26/3/2025- Received the arc. Nobody talk to me. See my previous reviews of Bryan Washington's Novels.
1. Memorial review
2. Family Meal review
June 24, 2025
Major thanks to NetGalley and FSG for providing an ARC of this in exchange for my honest thoughts:
“𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱.
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦.”
In which Washington cosplays as expat to create the imaginary inflated distance and indifference within a fraught relationship between gay son and mother. In the end, it plays out like an A24 picture best represented as trailer and totally forgotten as film. Some beautiful lines here and there, but too long for its own good, and perhaps because this feels like trial and error of a short story too long in its own form, yet not immense enough to be a novel. Some interesting points between the identity of foreigner, tourist, expat, and foreign worker, especially within the queer scene.
But when you really look at it, Washington only manages to graze the surface of Ni-Chome in a polished short-form Tiktok kind of way without really characterizing it from being one of the gay meccas of East Asia. The eye on this district remains touristic, never once delving deep into an actual place. It becomes caricature. Made-up. Bloated with all air. And that sums up most of the writing in its MFA approach — a story for the campus workshop best printed double-sided and double-spaced on A4 paper, held together by staples, not bounded, like a book.
“𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱.
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦.”
In which Washington cosplays as expat to create the imaginary inflated distance and indifference within a fraught relationship between gay son and mother. In the end, it plays out like an A24 picture best represented as trailer and totally forgotten as film. Some beautiful lines here and there, but too long for its own good, and perhaps because this feels like trial and error of a short story too long in its own form, yet not immense enough to be a novel. Some interesting points between the identity of foreigner, tourist, expat, and foreign worker, especially within the queer scene.
But when you really look at it, Washington only manages to graze the surface of Ni-Chome in a polished short-form Tiktok kind of way without really characterizing it from being one of the gay meccas of East Asia. The eye on this district remains touristic, never once delving deep into an actual place. It becomes caricature. Made-up. Bloated with all air. And that sums up most of the writing in its MFA approach — a story for the campus workshop best printed double-sided and double-spaced on A4 paper, held together by staples, not bounded, like a book.
June 7, 2025
#️⃣2️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ Read & Reviewed in 2025 ⛈️⚡🚨
Date : 📢 Friday, June 6, 2025 🍙⚔️
Word Count📃:k Words 🏕️ ARC, can't find the word count
──★ ˙💥🪨💣🪨💥 ̟ ⋆✮˚.*⋆
ദ്ദി ≽^⎚˕⎚^≼ .ᐟ My 14th read in "Explosive Impactful Reads June"
5️⃣🌟, BEAUTIFULLLLLLLLLLLLLL
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
This book hits heart strings that you never realized that you had, the kinda affair happening with the main character is absolutely delightful to read.
I can't really comment on the things happening here because there's not really much focus on the 'plot' of this book,. This is taking more of a classic literature approach where even on the simplest plot you can deliver an empowering message about family, home and acceptance. The book doesn't even focus on the characters as the characters themselves don't even have any names. It's not limiting itself into a single identity but an entire theme to explore, an introspection to experiences of the human life and a way to show many highly controversial topics in a comforting way.
Not like the book really only focuses on 'the son' but also his mom! The way that both of them handle their lives and problems differently and independently from each other, with a hidden connection that is always present, always within families, it's all delivered so wellll, I've never seen such a simplistic writing style still have such an impeccable depth all around it. The cat is a very interesting small comedic relief too and THE PHOTOGRAPHS???????????? It adds more life and uniqueness to this already outstanding novel. There are many different types of relationships being discussed, familial to romantic to sexual to that small appreciation to the world around you. The writing style is so lyrical and descriptive. I love the imagery that it gives! Speaking of "Image"ry, the cover: I can look and appreciate it the entire day! As a digital artist (even just at a beginner level) I love the attention to detail and the pastel simplistic gloomy nature it gives, the font compliments the artist too. Safe to say I love everything this book has to offer,
This is my first ever book by this author and i'm looking forward to buying and reading this author's entire list of books ever published. Thank you thank you thank youuu for this ARC, I may have found one of my new favorite authors of all time.
Date : 📢 Friday, June 6, 2025 🍙⚔️
Word Count📃:
──★ ˙💥🪨💣🪨💥 ̟ ⋆✮˚.*⋆
ദ്ദി ≽^⎚˕⎚^≼ .ᐟ My 14th read in "Explosive Impactful Reads June"
5️⃣🌟, BEAUTIFULLLLLLLLLLLLLL
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
This book hits heart strings that you never realized that you had, the kinda affair happening with the main character is absolutely delightful to read.
I can't really comment on the things happening here because there's not really much focus on the 'plot' of this book,. This is taking more of a classic literature approach where even on the simplest plot you can deliver an empowering message about family, home and acceptance. The book doesn't even focus on the characters as the characters themselves don't even have any names. It's not limiting itself into a single identity but an entire theme to explore, an introspection to experiences of the human life and a way to show many highly controversial topics in a comforting way.
Not like the book really only focuses on 'the son' but also his mom! The way that both of them handle their lives and problems differently and independently from each other, with a hidden connection that is always present, always within families, it's all delivered so wellll, I've never seen such a simplistic writing style still have such an impeccable depth all around it. The cat is a very interesting small comedic relief too and THE PHOTOGRAPHS???????????? It adds more life and uniqueness to this already outstanding novel. There are many different types of relationships being discussed, familial to romantic to sexual to that small appreciation to the world around you. The writing style is so lyrical and descriptive. I love the imagery that it gives! Speaking of "Image"ry, the cover: I can look and appreciate it the entire day! As a digital artist (even just at a beginner level) I love the attention to detail and the pastel simplistic gloomy nature it gives, the font compliments the artist too. Safe to say I love everything this book has to offer,
This is my first ever book by this author and i'm looking forward to buying and reading this author's entire list of books ever published. Thank you thank you thank youuu for this ARC, I may have found one of my new favorite authors of all time.
November 5, 2025
*3.5 stars
Palaver delves into the intricacies of a fractured mother and son relationship with so much heart. Written with Washington’s lovely prose, he always brings an extra layer of humanness to his characters. I loved how he captured the small moments and acts of kindness between the mother and son making them bigger and these instances emotional. Palaver touches on many themes including identity, home, and forgiveness.
My only issue with this one was the abrupt shifts in past and present which were a bit confusing at times. But overall I really enjoyed Palaver and I think readers who enjoy literary fiction will as well.
I listened to the audiobook version of Palaver which is read by André Santana who did a fantastic job.
Palaver by Bryan Washington will be available on November 4. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!
Palaver delves into the intricacies of a fractured mother and son relationship with so much heart. Written with Washington’s lovely prose, he always brings an extra layer of humanness to his characters. I loved how he captured the small moments and acts of kindness between the mother and son making them bigger and these instances emotional. Palaver touches on many themes including identity, home, and forgiveness.
My only issue with this one was the abrupt shifts in past and present which were a bit confusing at times. But overall I really enjoyed Palaver and I think readers who enjoy literary fiction will as well.
I listened to the audiobook version of Palaver which is read by André Santana who did a fantastic job.
Palaver by Bryan Washington will be available on November 4. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!
November 11, 2025
4 1/2 stars. Palaver is the first book I’ve read by Bryan Washington, and I really enjoyed it. The writing style is simple and easy to move through.
The story follows an estranged mother and son who are trying to understand each other after years of distance. The son is living in Japan, and the mother travels there to visit him. The book focuses on small, everyday moments that slowly build toward healing. The pictures and details of Japan throughout the book were a nice touch and made the setting feel real.
Overall, it’s a quiet story about relationships, forgiveness, and figuring out how to show up for the people you love.
The story follows an estranged mother and son who are trying to understand each other after years of distance. The son is living in Japan, and the mother travels there to visit him. The book focuses on small, everyday moments that slowly build toward healing. The pictures and details of Japan throughout the book were a nice touch and made the setting feel real.
Overall, it’s a quiet story about relationships, forgiveness, and figuring out how to show up for the people you love.
September 24, 2025
If you’ve read a Bryan Washington novel, you already know whether or not you’ll enjoy this one. He tends to stick to the same themes and this one is no different.
I personally love his writing and his exploration of gay mens’ relationships with their families, so I’ll always read his work even if it’s not new ground for him (this was definitely quite similar to Memorial). It alternates focus between the son and the mother, and while I preferred the son’s stories this was definitely another solid novel from him, and at barely 200 pages it doesn’t drag or overstay its welcome.
I personally love his writing and his exploration of gay mens’ relationships with their families, so I’ll always read his work even if it’s not new ground for him (this was definitely quite similar to Memorial). It alternates focus between the son and the mother, and while I preferred the son’s stories this was definitely another solid novel from him, and at barely 200 pages it doesn’t drag or overstay its welcome.
January 4, 2026
2025 National Book Award Finalist 🎉
Son and Mother have a very splintered relationship. Son has moved to Tokyo 12 years prior, to remove himself from the violent situation and condemnation of his being gay. His brother who is currently incarcerated, and has been addicted to drugs or in jail most of his life. Son feels extreme resentment towards his Mother, and his brother as well. It is understandable. He has not spoken to his Mother at all in 3 years. So, when she decides to take a flight and show up suddenly for a visit, things do not go smoothly. There is constant bickering and anger throughout. The writing is done well, but there is an emotional distance in both characters, so truly bonding with either is difficult. Son, has established himself among the queer community and has a Found Family. This was the best part of the book to me, as well as having Tokyo as a backdrop.
The story goes from the present to the past and it wasn’t always immediately clear when that occurred. It does explain the past and his brother, Chris and all that lead up to the breakdown of a family. Yet, understanding and forgiveness are possible. It just seemed rushed and not that believable due to such harshness for most of the book. I appreciated the story and the writing, more than felt an attachment to the characters. It wasn’t a bad book, just not my favorite.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this. I always leave reviews of books I read.
Son and Mother have a very splintered relationship. Son has moved to Tokyo 12 years prior, to remove himself from the violent situation and condemnation of his being gay. His brother who is currently incarcerated, and has been addicted to drugs or in jail most of his life. Son feels extreme resentment towards his Mother, and his brother as well. It is understandable. He has not spoken to his Mother at all in 3 years. So, when she decides to take a flight and show up suddenly for a visit, things do not go smoothly. There is constant bickering and anger throughout. The writing is done well, but there is an emotional distance in both characters, so truly bonding with either is difficult. Son, has established himself among the queer community and has a Found Family. This was the best part of the book to me, as well as having Tokyo as a backdrop.
The story goes from the present to the past and it wasn’t always immediately clear when that occurred. It does explain the past and his brother, Chris and all that lead up to the breakdown of a family. Yet, understanding and forgiveness are possible. It just seemed rushed and not that believable due to such harshness for most of the book. I appreciated the story and the writing, more than felt an attachment to the characters. It wasn’t a bad book, just not my favorite.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this. I always leave reviews of books I read.
January 19, 2026
I’ve read all of Bryan Washington’s books and after this one, I think I’m done. Or at least I’ll wait until Mr. Washington charts new narrative waters that don't slosh around the same obsessions: mother-son, Japan-Texas, foodie-sex. Like Garth Greenwell and his three novels, BW has yet to find interest in new ideas.
PALAVER's plot takes a back seat to swaths of memory and long-running, small-stakes conversations. Characters are thin, and every possible big swing is neutralized (the most exciting event might be a car accident, though even that amounts to little) as the story achieves an ending that trades in soft easy-fix sentiment.
The novel delivers few surprises or interesting character moments, scant depictions of its setting — and for me at least, little emotional resonance. Its emotional crest depends on the tired device of withholding past events until such time as the writer finds their reveal to be dramatically useful. PALAVER'S narrative coyness trades in past events that are so underwhelming, and with such little present-day resonance, that I struggled to see the point.
PALAVER's plot takes a back seat to swaths of memory and long-running, small-stakes conversations. Characters are thin, and every possible big swing is neutralized (the most exciting event might be a car accident, though even that amounts to little) as the story achieves an ending that trades in soft easy-fix sentiment.
The novel delivers few surprises or interesting character moments, scant depictions of its setting — and for me at least, little emotional resonance. Its emotional crest depends on the tired device of withholding past events until such time as the writer finds their reveal to be dramatically useful. PALAVER'S narrative coyness trades in past events that are so underwhelming, and with such little present-day resonance, that I struggled to see the point.
October 9, 2025
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free audio copy. And congratulations to the author for this book being named a finalist for the National Book Award!
It took me a bit to get into the story and invest in the characters, but once the mother-son relationship took the spotlight (and we learned about the mother's brother), it connected well for me. The ending provided a nice soft landing.
Some of my favorite lines included:
"A city will never love you back. People will. Family will."
"We're here, but then we're gone. But we can be here for each other. It's the least we can do, and also the hardest thing we can do. Because we don't have to save the world. Just show up for yourself and for your people. That's a good life."
It took me a bit to get into the story and invest in the characters, but once the mother-son relationship took the spotlight (and we learned about the mother's brother), it connected well for me. The ending provided a nice soft landing.
Some of my favorite lines included:
"A city will never love you back. People will. Family will."
"We're here, but then we're gone. But we can be here for each other. It's the least we can do, and also the hardest thing we can do. Because we don't have to save the world. Just show up for yourself and for your people. That's a good life."
January 9, 2026
I’m still not totally sure how I feel about this one. Which, I guess is kind of the point. Unfortunately, it was also kind of the problem for me.
Palaver is a very quiet and very slow novel. The two main characters are only ever referred to as the mother and the son, and that choice made the whole book feel a bit distant, like I was observing rather than inhabiting it. The plot drifts back and forth through time, often lingering on small moments that sometimes felt purposeful and sometimes felt like… nothing much happening at all. These are both narrative choices that often work. I just raved about a novel in which I loved the character in spite of not knowing her name. But this time, it just left me a little cold. I think that's a "me" thing more than a problem with the book.
The setup is compelling: a gay Black man has been living in Japan for ten years, estranged from his mother, until she shows up unexpectedly. He’s long felt unloved by her, especially because of her preference for his brother, who was homophobic and abusive towards the son before winding up in jail. In Tokyo, the son's life feels stalled. He spends most of his time either sleeping with a married man or at the same gay bar with the same group of men keeping most everyone at arm’s length.
It’s clear that the mother has come to Japan to try to reconnect with her son, but she doesn’t quite know how, and that awkwardness drives the book. Her uncertainty about how to communicate with the son leads her to befriend a restaurant owner and reflect on her own past, including her brother who died of AIDS and the choices that led her away from Jamaica. The eventual reconciliation between mother and son is tentative and incomplete, which feels very true to life and very Bryan Washington.
I want to clear, I think this book is very well done. The sparse writing fits the story, and I get why people might love it. I just found myself wanting something more concrete, at least right now. This might be a timing thing, but it didn’t quite land for me.
Palaver is a very quiet and very slow novel. The two main characters are only ever referred to as the mother and the son, and that choice made the whole book feel a bit distant, like I was observing rather than inhabiting it. The plot drifts back and forth through time, often lingering on small moments that sometimes felt purposeful and sometimes felt like… nothing much happening at all. These are both narrative choices that often work. I just raved about a novel in which I loved the character in spite of not knowing her name. But this time, it just left me a little cold. I think that's a "me" thing more than a problem with the book.
The setup is compelling: a gay Black man has been living in Japan for ten years, estranged from his mother, until she shows up unexpectedly. He’s long felt unloved by her, especially because of her preference for his brother, who was homophobic and abusive towards the son before winding up in jail. In Tokyo, the son's life feels stalled. He spends most of his time either sleeping with a married man or at the same gay bar with the same group of men keeping most everyone at arm’s length.
It’s clear that the mother has come to Japan to try to reconnect with her son, but she doesn’t quite know how, and that awkwardness drives the book. Her uncertainty about how to communicate with the son leads her to befriend a restaurant owner and reflect on her own past, including her brother who died of AIDS and the choices that led her away from Jamaica. The eventual reconciliation between mother and son is tentative and incomplete, which feels very true to life and very Bryan Washington.
I want to clear, I think this book is very well done. The sparse writing fits the story, and I get why people might love it. I just found myself wanting something more concrete, at least right now. This might be a timing thing, but it didn’t quite land for me.
January 25, 2026
Maybe I just shouldn't read Bryan Washington on audio, but this didn't connect with me the way Washington's other novels did. It is, to be fair, one of those books that structurally isn't a great fit for the way we currently produce audiobooks. It moves forward and backwards in time, shifts character perspective, and does this quite regularly. In print this is usually not a problem since there's a visible sign like a pagebreak or a large paragraph break. But on audio it is not treated any differently than moving from one sentence to another so you find yourself regularly disoriented.
It's not surprising to see Washington finally set a novel in Japan, where his characters have often found themselves. And there is a lot to enjoy about the setting, the characters, all the things I enjoy about Washington. Romantic relationships tend to have some fluidity, family relationships are a source of struggle. All of that is still here, it's not quite as sad as Family Meal. Ultimately this is a book about healing and finding a new way forward. And it isn't the kind of warm fuzzy stuff you tend to see these days where adult children are just supposed to forgive their parents. Instead there's a slow understanding, with a lot of holding back, and a gradual openness around family history. These things I liked. I just found myself feeling lost and a little aimless, so I will definitely stick to print for Washington from here.
It's not surprising to see Washington finally set a novel in Japan, where his characters have often found themselves. And there is a lot to enjoy about the setting, the characters, all the things I enjoy about Washington. Romantic relationships tend to have some fluidity, family relationships are a source of struggle. All of that is still here, it's not quite as sad as Family Meal. Ultimately this is a book about healing and finding a new way forward. And it isn't the kind of warm fuzzy stuff you tend to see these days where adult children are just supposed to forgive their parents. Instead there's a slow understanding, with a lot of holding back, and a gradual openness around family history. These things I liked. I just found myself feeling lost and a little aimless, so I will definitely stick to print for Washington from here.
December 27, 2025
Finished just in time for it to be a 2025 favorite.
Currently reading
March 30, 2025he’s done it again
thank you fsg and netgalley for the digital arc. i’ve quite frankly never read something this early lol
i do plan on reading this again closer to the publication date, i just couldn’t be bothered to wait until november. you’ll get my full review then, but for now you can have some highlights:
- i wanted to cry and/or throw up during multiple scenes
- bryan washington crafts characters like no one else, the tenderness and care he exhibits in his writing is truly unmatched
- all of his works are in conversation with one another, but the exploration of similar themes never feels repetitive
i loved this book, and i’m already looking forward to the reread <3
thank you fsg and netgalley for the digital arc. i’ve quite frankly never read something this early lol
i do plan on reading this again closer to the publication date, i just couldn’t be bothered to wait until november. you’ll get my full review then, but for now you can have some highlights:
- i wanted to cry and/or throw up during multiple scenes
- bryan washington crafts characters like no one else, the tenderness and care he exhibits in his writing is truly unmatched
- all of his works are in conversation with one another, but the exploration of similar themes never feels repetitive
i loved this book, and i’m already looking forward to the reread <3
November 1, 2025
Things that I found out after googling this title: palaver, as a noun, means many things, among which “idle chatter”, the art of beguiling and talking around things, and what I think matters most in this context, a palaver is a negotiation. In this book a mother and son reunite out of the blue for the first time in more than a decade in a foreign country to rehash a painful past and try to delineate the borders of their relationship, mending and rebuilding their trust in each other.
The two protagonists are nameless and apart from being very strong willed I found them both to be a canvas more than actual characters — theirs is the story of countless mothers and sons that came before them, the sacrifices they have to make and the compromises they have to come to terms with to foster a balanced relationship.
I enjoyed the concept of the story and the personality of the city peeking through the narration, but at the same time despite being a very short book I thought it went by quite slow. I'm not familiar with the author so I don't know if it's simply a matter of personal style.
Recommended to readers of introspective novels and who have a fragmented relationship with their parents.
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The two protagonists are nameless and apart from being very strong willed I found them both to be a canvas more than actual characters — theirs is the story of countless mothers and sons that came before them, the sacrifices they have to make and the compromises they have to come to terms with to foster a balanced relationship.
I enjoyed the concept of the story and the personality of the city peeking through the narration, but at the same time despite being a very short book I thought it went by quite slow. I'm not familiar with the author so I don't know if it's simply a matter of personal style.
Recommended to readers of introspective novels and who have a fragmented relationship with their parents.
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2025
The novel revolves around two nameless characters, only ever known as "the son" and "the mother" as if they were timeless stand-ins for every son and every mother. But as the story unfolds and we read their stories in split-screen, we see their lives are uniquely particular: the son has moved to Tokyo, is in a situationship with a married father-to-be, Taku, and spends his time hanging out with friends in a bar, hooking up with Taku, teaching ESL, and writing (but never sending) letters to his homophobic ex-veteran brother, Chris, now in prison. The mother has just arrived in Tokyo to visit her son and is instantly lost in the dizzying bustle of the city. She goes to a local restaurant, becomes infatuated with the owner, Ben, and as she tries to rebuild her relationship with her son, thinks back over her youth, her migration from Jamaica, her childhood friend, Cheryl, now married to a woman, her brother, Stefan, dying of AIDS.
The two are called abstractly "the son" and "the mother" not because they are avatars of archetypal sonship and motherhood but because they can only see each other reductively in those terms. The son just sees a prying mother desperate to keep her son close and criticize his life, the woman who favored and still prefers the straight son over the gay one; the mother can only see an ingrate son avoiding her, emotionally walling her out of his life even as she shares his small apartment during this brief stay. The book is, at its title suggests, palaver—a mother and son talking past one another, never sharing the totality of their interior life, each protectively guarding their own secrets. The son cannot see that his mother's worldly life has been replete with queer friends. When he takes her to a gay bar, what he imagines to be squeamishness or discomfort is not homophobia—just a mother in a foreign country surprised at the shape of her son's life. The novel is a record of their conversational stalling and evasion.
The novel is interleaved with images of Tokyo—but not the classic tourist photos. Instead, we see a busy underpass with a blurry train whooshing over; a skyline view of densely crowded apartments; a curbside restaurant with two narrow windows; an alleyway canopied with tangled power lines; a stack of patios hung with drying clothes; an empty lot with abandoned shoes propped up in the sunlight. There are no famous monuments, no glamorous palaces, no bright towers, none of the high-tech wonder of a modern city. There are few people and the images conjure a Tokyo that seems apocalyptically desolate. Like the characters themselves, the city seems lonely.
It's a quiet novel with little plot or drama, an exploration of queer alienation and the challenges of both nuclear and makeshift families.
The two are called abstractly "the son" and "the mother" not because they are avatars of archetypal sonship and motherhood but because they can only see each other reductively in those terms. The son just sees a prying mother desperate to keep her son close and criticize his life, the woman who favored and still prefers the straight son over the gay one; the mother can only see an ingrate son avoiding her, emotionally walling her out of his life even as she shares his small apartment during this brief stay. The book is, at its title suggests, palaver—a mother and son talking past one another, never sharing the totality of their interior life, each protectively guarding their own secrets. The son cannot see that his mother's worldly life has been replete with queer friends. When he takes her to a gay bar, what he imagines to be squeamishness or discomfort is not homophobia—just a mother in a foreign country surprised at the shape of her son's life. The novel is a record of their conversational stalling and evasion.
The novel is interleaved with images of Tokyo—but not the classic tourist photos. Instead, we see a busy underpass with a blurry train whooshing over; a skyline view of densely crowded apartments; a curbside restaurant with two narrow windows; an alleyway canopied with tangled power lines; a stack of patios hung with drying clothes; an empty lot with abandoned shoes propped up in the sunlight. There are no famous monuments, no glamorous palaces, no bright towers, none of the high-tech wonder of a modern city. There are few people and the images conjure a Tokyo that seems apocalyptically desolate. Like the characters themselves, the city seems lonely.
It's a quiet novel with little plot or drama, an exploration of queer alienation and the challenges of both nuclear and makeshift families.
October 15, 2025
Bryan Washington has written another book that seems to me to be metafictional account of his own life. As with his other books that I've read, his protagonist is unnamed, and in this case, so is his mother. That mother shows up on the Tokyo doorstep of her son that she hasn't seen in 10 years and has only talked to sporadically. Never a warm cookies-and-hugs type of mom, she looks to mend fences and encourage him to return stateside, or home as she puts it. But he has made a home for himself in Japan, and the interaction between these two and with others rings so true. I love the way this guy writes and bares his inner self.
November 17, 2025
I really like Washington as an artist and a person; I really appreciate his unique perspective as a Black American expatriate in Japan and love his respect for and understanding of Japanese culture. This one, though, didn’t really land for me. It was a little understated; the themes are very personal and emotional for me and I felt even more numb than usual to them while reading it. This may not be the author’s fault, though!
November 6, 2025
I nearly passed on this one because I'm exhausted with expat novels, but I'm glad I didn't. The son has made a life for himself in Tokyo where his mother shows up without warning. Both are stubborn in their point of view about shared history as the reader navigates the meaning of home, family, and abandonment. I really appreciated the way Washington writes about found family, a trope that often becomes cheesy or whimsical at the expense of the real.
This isn't a queer coming-of-age story, it's queer reckoning with one's familial history.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy, which was excellently narrated.
This isn't a queer coming-of-age story, it's queer reckoning with one's familial history.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy, which was excellently narrated.
December 23, 2025
his next book has to be different right? like this is so similar to memorial there's no way he can keep getting leverage out of these same stories. great prose, unfortunately not impactful.
September 23, 2025
My early Shelf Awareness review: In Bryan Washington's quietly powerful third novel, a queer Black man who's swapped Houston for Tokyo reconnects with his estranged mother and rebuilds his mental health, thanks to his chosen family.
The central players are only ever "the son" and "the mother." He's found a niche in Japan as a private English tutor and is sleeping with a married man; she came from Jamaica via Canada to raise a family in Texas. They have been out of touch for years when he phones her. Concerned about the son's safety, given his previous suicide attempt, she takes a break from her dental tech job and flies over unannounced. The son lets the mother stay in his apartment and takes her for meals, but they circle each other uneasily, irritable and quick to take offense. Much remains latent between them, particularly the physical abuse and homophobia that led to their estrangement.
The low-key plot builds through memories and interactions: the son's with his students or hook-ups; the mother's with restaurateurs as she gains confidence exploring Japan. Apart from a trip to the shrines of Kyoto and Nara, they stick around the son's neighborhood. But the close third-person narration expands the view by slipping from present to past and back, drifting to Jamaica and Houston. Along with the lack of speech marks, this creates fluidity and emphasizes how trauma sparks later mental health crises. Satisfying parallels emerge between the pair's nascent romances and past ties with their brothers. As in Memorial, the characters' cool affect conceals deep emotions. And as in Family Meal, the protagonist gets by with a little help from his diverse friends--here, those who orbit the gay bar Friendly: Fumi, Binh, Iseul, Santi, and Tej. Trans bartender Alan and the son's kitten, Taro, are additional highlights of the lively secondary cast.
Through words and black-and-white photographs, Washington brings settings to life vibrantly. His fiction tends to recombine recurring elements: Texas and/or Japan, queer multicultural characters, and abundant descriptions of food. Familial and sexual relationships play out against similar backdrops. Always, blood and found family are of equal importance. Palaver's broken parent-child bond starts off as defining but melts into part of a whole network of connections. As Tej remarks, others "help us see ourselves clearer." Alan adds that simply "showing up" for oneself and others is a vital act of courage. This is Washington's best and most moving work yet.
(Posted with permission from Shelf Awareness.)
The central players are only ever "the son" and "the mother." He's found a niche in Japan as a private English tutor and is sleeping with a married man; she came from Jamaica via Canada to raise a family in Texas. They have been out of touch for years when he phones her. Concerned about the son's safety, given his previous suicide attempt, she takes a break from her dental tech job and flies over unannounced. The son lets the mother stay in his apartment and takes her for meals, but they circle each other uneasily, irritable and quick to take offense. Much remains latent between them, particularly the physical abuse and homophobia that led to their estrangement.
The low-key plot builds through memories and interactions: the son's with his students or hook-ups; the mother's with restaurateurs as she gains confidence exploring Japan. Apart from a trip to the shrines of Kyoto and Nara, they stick around the son's neighborhood. But the close third-person narration expands the view by slipping from present to past and back, drifting to Jamaica and Houston. Along with the lack of speech marks, this creates fluidity and emphasizes how trauma sparks later mental health crises. Satisfying parallels emerge between the pair's nascent romances and past ties with their brothers. As in Memorial, the characters' cool affect conceals deep emotions. And as in Family Meal, the protagonist gets by with a little help from his diverse friends--here, those who orbit the gay bar Friendly: Fumi, Binh, Iseul, Santi, and Tej. Trans bartender Alan and the son's kitten, Taro, are additional highlights of the lively secondary cast.
Through words and black-and-white photographs, Washington brings settings to life vibrantly. His fiction tends to recombine recurring elements: Texas and/or Japan, queer multicultural characters, and abundant descriptions of food. Familial and sexual relationships play out against similar backdrops. Always, blood and found family are of equal importance. Palaver's broken parent-child bond starts off as defining but melts into part of a whole network of connections. As Tej remarks, others "help us see ourselves clearer." Alan adds that simply "showing up" for oneself and others is a vital act of courage. This is Washington's best and most moving work yet.
(Posted with permission from Shelf Awareness.)
October 26, 2025
Finalist for the National Book Award 2025
Much like several contemporary writers known for circling familiar emotional and thematic terrain — Rachel Cusk (female interiority, motherhood, artistic remove), Marilynne Robinson (faith, aging, the quiet dignity of rural life), Elena Ferrante (female friendship, shame, maternal inheritance, rage), and Sally Rooney (intellectual longing, romantic misalignment, generational disaffection) — Bryan Washington, too, returns to his core concerns with a quiet persistence. But rather than reading like repetition, his revisitations feel like someone peeling back the same wound with gentler, wiser hands, as if he knows the story isn’t done telling itself.
In Palaver, his latest, he turns again to food, memory, queerness, and the tense intimacy between a mother and son. True to its title, the novel is structured like a long and winding conversation (layered, hesitant, circling back), between two people whose shared history may not necessarily mean shared understanding. There’s a slow-burning, honest friction to these pages. I especially adored the mother’s character — sharp, observant, and unsentimental — and I found myself completely absorbed by the lens through which she views Japan.
Washington’s writing feels comforting and effortless, even though it’s quietly full of emotion. His dialogue really stands out, especially when a moment of tension is lightened by a touch of unexpected humor.
I quite liked this book which is tender, unflinching, and full of echoes, and I already look forward to rereading it when it releases in November.
Much like several contemporary writers known for circling familiar emotional and thematic terrain — Rachel Cusk (female interiority, motherhood, artistic remove), Marilynne Robinson (faith, aging, the quiet dignity of rural life), Elena Ferrante (female friendship, shame, maternal inheritance, rage), and Sally Rooney (intellectual longing, romantic misalignment, generational disaffection) — Bryan Washington, too, returns to his core concerns with a quiet persistence. But rather than reading like repetition, his revisitations feel like someone peeling back the same wound with gentler, wiser hands, as if he knows the story isn’t done telling itself.
In Palaver, his latest, he turns again to food, memory, queerness, and the tense intimacy between a mother and son. True to its title, the novel is structured like a long and winding conversation (layered, hesitant, circling back), between two people whose shared history may not necessarily mean shared understanding. There’s a slow-burning, honest friction to these pages. I especially adored the mother’s character — sharp, observant, and unsentimental — and I found myself completely absorbed by the lens through which she views Japan.
Washington’s writing feels comforting and effortless, even though it’s quietly full of emotion. His dialogue really stands out, especially when a moment of tension is lightened by a touch of unexpected humor.
I quite liked this book which is tender, unflinching, and full of echoes, and I already look forward to rereading it when it releases in November.
January 11, 2026
Wow. Something about this book just felt so deeply heartbreaking and personal. Bryan Washington’s characters are so painfully human, and while they might not be infallible, they have such depth and personality to them that you can’t help but feel for them. Community, maturing and confronting one’s past made this my new favourite book of Washington’s. There’s so much more I could say but I just feel so melancholic right now.
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