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Palaver: A Novel
Finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction
Named a Most Anticipated Book by New York, Time, the Boston Globe, Bustle, and Town & Country
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 and drinks 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 mother in Houston, 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 last saw each other, the mother arrives uninvited on his doorstep.
With only the son’s cat, Taro, to mediate, the two of them bristle at 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 steers them in unexpected directions—the mother to a tentative friendship with a local bistro owner and the son to a cautious acquaintance with a new patron of the bar—they begin to see each other more clearly. During meals and conversations and an eventful trip to Nara, mother and son try as best they can to determine where “home” really is—and whether they can even find it in one another.
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.
"André Santana's narration matches the somber tone of this novel...[and he] tackles the Jamaican, Japanese, Texan, and Spanish accents and phrases of the many globe-trotting characters." — AudioFile
A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Named a Most Anticipated Book by New York, Time, the Boston Globe, Bustle, and Town & Country
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 and drinks 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 mother in Houston, 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 last saw each other, the mother arrives uninvited on his doorstep.
With only the son’s cat, Taro, to mediate, the two of them bristle at 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 steers them in unexpected directions—the mother to a tentative friendship with a local bistro owner and the son to a cautious acquaintance with a new patron of the bar—they begin to see each other more clearly. During meals and conversations and an eventful trip to Nara, mother and son try as best they can to determine where “home” really is—and whether they can even find it in one another.
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.
"André Santana's narration matches the somber tone of this novel...[and he] tackles the Jamaican, Japanese, Texan, and Spanish accents and phrases of the many globe-trotting characters." — AudioFile
A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Audible Audio
Published November 4, 2025
357 people are currently reading
19550 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Washington
12 books1,515 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 449 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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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."
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.
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.
September 15, 2025
National Book Award nom, let’s gooooooo.
Bryan Washington is such a comfort to read because everything about his books is quiet and steady. The prose, the characters, the settings. Nothing obnoxious or jarring or joyful happens, he kind of drops you in the middle of relationships and follows people picking up the pieces to move on. They aren’t pissed off or violent or ecstatic about anything, but they are struggling and going through the motions, and that’s mostly okay.
The story revolves around an estranged mother and son who live across the globe from each other abruptly reuniting in Tokyo after a decade. The son left his family in Houston, due largely to homophobia he experienced, so this sudden meeting isn’t warm and fuzzy and he struggles with forgiveness. Meanwhile, his mother contemplates her own past as she explores Tokyo on her own.
An interesting thing Washington does is the familial mapping one gains from living in many different places, namely that of the found family you acquire when drifting from your blood relatives. The mother and son have these circles of family and friends they may not be close to at all times, but they carry the weight of those relationships to their current existence. And it informs their navigation of their bond with each other as they try to find their way back to a harmony of sorts.
The found family theme is strong in all of Washington’s books, and while the caretaking of those not related to you is a beautiful thing, he shows that those relationships are often not that different from biological family struggles. The son finds trust challenging as he navigates his ideas of intimacy, and the mother questions a new relationship that develops as she’s visiting Tokyo. There’s a normalcy to Washington’s portrayal of unconventional friend/family groups that I appreciate.
There’s getting to know the city, as well, and we see that exploration through the mother’s eyes. There is, I think, a question a lot of women have as they age, about what their life should look like once they’ve raised their kids, and in this mother’s case, once they’ve separated from her as adults. It’s not overt, but I think her solo discoveries of this new-to-her city speak to that questioning and searching period of life. Again, this is all normalized, so the book isn’t yelling, “Look at this woman, exploring a city on her own, meeting a man, at this stage in life, what?!”, allowing readers to see her more as a person than solely occupying the role of mother.
Sometimes the messiness of family dynamics can be resolved by realizing they don’t have to fit any traditional mold. It’s notable the mother and son are nameless in this book; as they navigate their relationships with others, they also struggle with who they are to those around them. With regard to each other, there has to be forgiveness, yes, but also an acknowledgement that the mother doesn’t need him to be a son and he doesn’t need her to be a mother. Not in the traditional sense of those roles, anyway (I was thisclose to going off on a Supernatural tangent and the motherhood issues on that show that kind of parallel this, but I restrained myself, you’re welcome).
Another constant in Washington’s books is his storytelling through food and place. Houston and Japan being main settings in his work make it easy to weave in the amazing food each place has to offer, a reminder that so much of our lives happen over meals and walks down familiar streets. Buying or preparing food for others is a form of caretaking that fills so many scenes in his books. In Palaver, he also explores what home is and how you know when you’re there. I do question how many more Texas/Tokyo books Washington has in him, whether he needs to think about branching out or not. But then, straight, white, male writers will set every book in the same place and get no flak at all, so.
Something that gets a bit tedious in Washington’s writing are the vague philosophical musings. Pretty much what I’ve quoted here and then some. I would like to get more under that somehow, because staying on the surface of what love and family and whatever else actually mean…doesn’t always make a book a book. Like, these almost come off as thought-canceling cliches, and I guess my question is, why is the book being written if it’s just going to bob above water in its character dynamics?
This book doesn’t have the most stunning prose or story or whatever and I say that in the plainest, nicest way possible, I think we all need a go-to author whose books are just fine. Washington has a way of making you so comfortable in his worlds that you anticipate his characters’ outcomes and root for them to get through to the other side of their struggles.
Bryan Washington is such a comfort to read because everything about his books is quiet and steady. The prose, the characters, the settings. Nothing obnoxious or jarring or joyful happens, he kind of drops you in the middle of relationships and follows people picking up the pieces to move on. They aren’t pissed off or violent or ecstatic about anything, but they are struggling and going through the motions, and that’s mostly okay.
“He thought about how, if you stay anywhere long enough, eventually you’ll lose people.”
The story revolves around an estranged mother and son who live across the globe from each other abruptly reuniting in Tokyo after a decade. The son left his family in Houston, due largely to homophobia he experienced, so this sudden meeting isn’t warm and fuzzy and he struggles with forgiveness. Meanwhile, his mother contemplates her own past as she explores Tokyo on her own.
An interesting thing Washington does is the familial mapping one gains from living in many different places, namely that of the found family you acquire when drifting from your blood relatives. The mother and son have these circles of family and friends they may not be close to at all times, but they carry the weight of those relationships to their current existence. And it informs their navigation of their bond with each other as they try to find their way back to a harmony of sorts.
“Maybe that’s just life. Repeating sorry, every single day until you die.”
The found family theme is strong in all of Washington’s books, and while the caretaking of those not related to you is a beautiful thing, he shows that those relationships are often not that different from biological family struggles. The son finds trust challenging as he navigates his ideas of intimacy, and the mother questions a new relationship that develops as she’s visiting Tokyo. There’s a normalcy to Washington’s portrayal of unconventional friend/family groups that I appreciate.
There’s getting to know the city, as well, and we see that exploration through the mother’s eyes. There is, I think, a question a lot of women have as they age, about what their life should look like once they’ve raised their kids, and in this mother’s case, once they’ve separated from her as adults. It’s not overt, but I think her solo discoveries of this new-to-her city speak to that questioning and searching period of life. Again, this is all normalized, so the book isn’t yelling, “Look at this woman, exploring a city on her own, meeting a man, at this stage in life, what?!”, allowing readers to see her more as a person than solely occupying the role of mother.
“You still don’t get it, said the mother. It doesn’t have to look any particular way. We don’t have to look any particular way. We just have to try. To figure out what works for us.”
Sometimes the messiness of family dynamics can be resolved by realizing they don’t have to fit any traditional mold. It’s notable the mother and son are nameless in this book; as they navigate their relationships with others, they also struggle with who they are to those around them. With regard to each other, there has to be forgiveness, yes, but also an acknowledgement that the mother doesn’t need him to be a son and he doesn’t need her to be a mother. Not in the traditional sense of those roles, anyway (I was thisclose to going off on a Supernatural tangent and the motherhood issues on that show that kind of parallel this, but I restrained myself, you’re welcome).
Another constant in Washington’s books is his storytelling through food and place. Houston and Japan being main settings in his work make it easy to weave in the amazing food each place has to offer, a reminder that so much of our lives happen over meals and walks down familiar streets. Buying or preparing food for others is a form of caretaking that fills so many scenes in his books. In Palaver, he also explores what home is and how you know when you’re there. I do question how many more Texas/Tokyo books Washington has in him, whether he needs to think about branching out or not. But then, straight, white, male writers will set every book in the same place and get no flak at all, so.
Something that gets a bit tedious in Washington’s writing are the vague philosophical musings. Pretty much what I’ve quoted here and then some. I would like to get more under that somehow, because staying on the surface of what love and family and whatever else actually mean…doesn’t always make a book a book. Like, these almost come off as thought-canceling cliches, and I guess my question is, why is the book being written if it’s just going to bob above water in its character dynamics?
This book doesn’t have the most stunning prose or story or whatever and I say that in the plainest, nicest way possible, I think we all need a go-to author whose books are just fine. Washington has a way of making you so comfortable in his worlds that you anticipate his characters’ outcomes and root for them to get through to the other side of their struggles.
Read
October 31, 2025This book had a lot to say, but I feel like it did an especially nice job of contextualizing the argument, "this 'lifestyle' could kill you," versus "actually, living repressed could kill me". A simmering family drama with pops of grief and connection, set against the perfect moody backdrop of Tokyo nightlife (the cover really does the atmosphere justice). Glad I had the chance to read it a lil in advanced lol
November 20, 2025
quite affecting
December 8, 2025
• an unnamed narrator works as an english tutor in tokyo where he spends his nights drinking with friends at a local gay bar. in the weeks leading up to christmas, ten years since he’s seen her, his mother arrives on his doorstep. being together forces both characters to reckon with their own emotions and shared history: the mother deals with memories of her youth in jamaica and her own complicated younger brother, while the son struggles with forgiving his mother & homophobic brother back in houston. but as the mother begins a friendship with a local bistro owner, and the son gets familiar with a patron of the bar, they begin to reconcile their differences, and each define what home means to them.
• this might be bryan washinton’s best book, or as least my favourite of his! this story is full of heart & humour & just feels so emotionally raw. the blending of past & present to weave this narrative is nothing short of perfection.
• i think anyone reading this will find something in it that will resonate. washinton’s writing just flows so well, and i think this has potential to be a new modern classic.
• this might be bryan washinton’s best book, or as least my favourite of his! this story is full of heart & humour & just feels so emotionally raw. the blending of past & present to weave this narrative is nothing short of perfection.
• i think anyone reading this will find something in it that will resonate. washinton’s writing just flows so well, and i think this has potential to be a new modern classic.
October 16, 2025
A warm, loving story of a different world.
A confession that I really like Washington’s authorial voice and have read his previous two novels and short stories, including those in the New Yorker, so I’m not impartial. As with his previous books, the subject matter is totally outside my experience, but fascinating for its difference, and the style is beautiful.
Initially the style can read a little distant, but if you relax into the rhythm, the layering of time, then it is another warm book of love and family, whether biological or logical.
Washington calls the protagonists, “the mother” and “the son” throughout, and although it perhaps indicates their Everyman qualities, it can be awkward at times and once completely broke my flow trying to understand the sentence.
There are some cheesy sentimental quotes, but I loved the book enough to accept them.
I received a Netgalley copy of this book, but this review is my honest opinion.
A confession that I really like Washington’s authorial voice and have read his previous two novels and short stories, including those in the New Yorker, so I’m not impartial. As with his previous books, the subject matter is totally outside my experience, but fascinating for its difference, and the style is beautiful.
Initially the style can read a little distant, but if you relax into the rhythm, the layering of time, then it is another warm book of love and family, whether biological or logical.
Washington calls the protagonists, “the mother” and “the son” throughout, and although it perhaps indicates their Everyman qualities, it can be awkward at times and once completely broke my flow trying to understand the sentence.
There are some cheesy sentimental quotes, but I loved the book enough to accept them.
I received a Netgalley copy of this book, but this review is my honest opinion.
September 29, 2025
Wow! This one quietly broke my heart. Family can be so tough to navigate, especially when two people are so alike that they can’t help but butt heads. Washington captures that tension with such tenderness, humor, and honesty. I loved the super slow unfolding of what home and family really mean in the story. A moving, beautifully written exploration of love, forgiveness, and belonging. André Santana, the narrator, brought so much to the characters and made the story feel more alive. Excellent!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.
September 22, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy provided for an honest review.
This is my third read by this author and my favorite so far. It follows a mother and son with a complicated relationship. The Son lives in Japan and the Mother has most recently been located in Houston. She decides to get on a plane and show up for a visit with the Son, who is immediately resentful of her intrusion at this point in his life.
I admit that I’m always bothered by books that have no quotation marks around dialogue, and this one was no different. In addition, the Mother and the Son are not named. Still, I quickly found myself compelled to read on to discover why their relationship appeared so strained. I was curious about their history and how they came to be in such different place both physically and emotionally. In addition, the book’s chapters end with some lovely photography capturing the setting that I found immensely enjoyable.
Washington weaves a tale of family and life filled with family who are blood that don’t always support us in the best ways and found family who are accepting of all our little foibles, punctuated with finding your place in the world. Slowly as the relationship holes are revealed, so is the Mother’s past and the possibilities for the future.
This is my third read by this author and my favorite so far. It follows a mother and son with a complicated relationship. The Son lives in Japan and the Mother has most recently been located in Houston. She decides to get on a plane and show up for a visit with the Son, who is immediately resentful of her intrusion at this point in his life.
I admit that I’m always bothered by books that have no quotation marks around dialogue, and this one was no different. In addition, the Mother and the Son are not named. Still, I quickly found myself compelled to read on to discover why their relationship appeared so strained. I was curious about their history and how they came to be in such different place both physically and emotionally. In addition, the book’s chapters end with some lovely photography capturing the setting that I found immensely enjoyable.
Washington weaves a tale of family and life filled with family who are blood that don’t always support us in the best ways and found family who are accepting of all our little foibles, punctuated with finding your place in the world. Slowly as the relationship holes are revealed, so is the Mother’s past and the possibilities for the future.
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