Family estrangement affects nearly 30% of American adults—a staggering figure that speaks to a deep, often unspoken emotional divide. In Across The Kitchen Table, author Carla Seaquist brings this quiet crisis to light with moving honesty and profound insight. Her book offers a deeply intimate look at familial conflict, reconciliation, and the fragile bonds that connect us, all told through the powerful story of a strained mother-daughter relationship marked by tragedy and miscommunication.
More than a memoir, Across The Kitchen Table serves as a contemplative exploration of the emotional complexity within families. Seaquist draws from her own life, recounting the heartbreaking loss of her daughter and the subsequent unraveling of family relationships. Through candid and vulnerable prose, she guides readers through the anguish of loss, the weight of unresolved emotions, and the path toward healing.
Seaquist, a respected playwright, essayist, and author, is known for her ability to tackle difficult social and personal themes with depth and clarity. Her award-winning plays—including Who Cares? and Looking for Atticus—as well as her widely published essays, reflect a career dedicated to examining the moral and emotional dimensions of human experience. In this latest work, she brings that same level of thoughtfulness and nuance to the topic of estrangement.
In Across The Kitchen Table, Seaquist bravely confronts the silence surrounding broken family ties. With a storyteller’s grace and a philosopher’s heart, she opens a dialogue about grief, misunderstanding, and the yearning for reconciliation. Her narrative doesn’t just chronicle pain—it offers a hand to those navigating their own fractured relationships, encouraging a journey toward compassion and understanding.
This book is more than a chronicle of personal loss—it’s a call to examine our own connections. Seaquist invites readers to look inward, to acknowledge wounds, and to find the courage to communicate and forgive. Whether you’ve experienced estrangement firsthand or simply believe in the power of familial bonds, Across The Kitchen Table is a compelling reminder of what it means to love, to lose, and to rebuild.
Watch the book trailer: https://youtu.be/lmyVYfJKPsw
