books
December 22, 2025
Palaver by Bryan Washington review
From exile to family dysfunction, street food to sex, this stylish novel about a mother visiting her estranged gay son in Tokyo explores familiar themes
TL;DR
- The novel "Palaver" explores the strained relationship between an American son living in Tokyo and his estranged Jamaican-American mother.
- The story primarily covers a week and a half they spend together in Tokyo, shifting between their viewpoints.
- Themes of familial dysfunction, alienation, exile, and the creation of a sense of home are central to the narrative.
- Flashbacks reveal the mother's past, including her childhood in the Caribbean and emigration to Toronto.
- The novel's structure is non-linear, reflecting the theme of powerlessness and being thrown off course by circumstance.
- Washington's signature style, including mumblecore prose and focus on queer relationships, is present.
- The review notes a tendency towards "faux-insightful Insta-therapy speak" in dialogue and a feeling of the novel being a "remix of Washington's greatest hits."
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