Palaver - Bryan Washington
Maybe that’s just life. Repeating sorry, every single day until you die.
How far would you go to reconcile with a loved one? In Bryan Washington’s latest book, Palaver, a mother goes to the other side of the world for her son.
Full disclosure, I am a Bryan Washington fan. I’ve read all of his books except Lot, which I plan to remedy this year. I find his work to be so fascinating and moving. And in my opinion, Palaver is his best work so far. The book starts with the mother (we never get her name) arriving in Tokyo, where her son (we never get his name either) has been living for the past ten years. The mother arrives unannounced (imagine arriving in Tokyo without telling anyone), to the chagrin of the son. The two have been estranged and as soon as the book begins, the bickering does also. The son has been living his life, frequenting gay bars while seeing a married man. He doesn’t understand why his mother is in Tokyo and doesn’t seem to want her there. The mother, who emigrated from Jamaica and is currently living in Houston, wants to reconcile but the way she talks to her son and vice versa, I kept wondering if it would ever happen.
Bryan Washington has written two of the most frustrating people I’ve read in a long time. Every time these two opened their mouths I wondered why they were even bothering. Both have sharp tongues and know how to push each other’s buttons. But with each day that passes, I saw what the mother and son did not. And when you read Palaver you’ll see the same thing, I promise.
During her visit, two new characters are introduced, both of whom bring out the softer sides to the mother and son, even if they won’t admit it. Did I mention how frustrating they are?
The novel is a fast read but not simplistic. It draws you into the relationship between the mother and the son immediately. One thing I will say is that I get along very well with my mother so reading their dialogue and the way they spoke to each other was a little upsetting. I could not imagine speaking to my mother that way nor has she ever talked to me like that either. But I got through it because the mother and son are fascinating. I kept reading because I wanted to know what made them tick, why they were estranged and also because Bryan Washington is a goddamn great writer. I understand why this book was chosen as a 2025 National Book Award Finalist. Had I read this book before the finalists were announced, I would have been LIVID if it hadn’t been chosen. It is an exceptional book.
Where to buy: The Lit. Bar Loyalty Bookstores Call & Response Books Reparations Club
Bryan Washington, author of Palaver. Photo courtesy of Cydney Cosette.
For more information about the author, please visit here.
