The psychological consequences of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire are revealed in the second novel from Defne Suman, author of The Silence of Scheherazade.

Told from four different perspectives, At the Breakfast Table is a story of hidden histories and family secrets, from the author of The Silence of Scheherazade. Buyukada, Turkey, 2017. In the glow of a late summer morning, family gather for the 100th birthday of the famous artist Shirin Saka. It ought to be a time of fond reminiscence, looking back on a long and fruitful artistic career, on memories spanning almost a century. But the deep past is something Shirin has spent a lifetime trying to conceal. Her grandchildren, Nur and Fikret, and great-grandchild, Celine, do not know what she's hiding, though they are intimately aware of the secret's psychological consequences. The siblings invite family friend and investigative journalist Burak along to interview Shirin – in celebration of her centenary, and also in the hope of persuading her to open up. Eventually Shirin begins to express her pain the only way she knows how. She paints a story onto her dining room wall, revealing a history wiped from public consciousness and generations of her family's history. 'Fiercely intelligent, finely textured and achingly beautiful.' Elif Shafak

"The image of the Prinkipo island with its carriages, bicycles, the blue sea that surrounds it, its blooming flowers and purple bougainvillea, give a brilliant tone to the novel. The historical touch offers realism and mystery" - Lefki Sarantinou (Greece)

"Captivates readers with its plot but engages them on a deeper level with its historic and psychological detail" - Asymtote Journal

"A nuanced, beautifully paced novel, featuring an attentively drawn cast of characters and an immersive sense of place" - The Age

"Cleverly done... The story is set on a beautiful holiday island whose ambience is expertly conveyed" - Historical Novel Society