Grace's Table: 'Beautifully written' Daily Mail

When three generations come together, simmering tensions from the past threaten to boil over. The one thing that no one can talk about is the one thing that no one can forget.‘A great idea and quite beautifully written — especially the mouth-watering culinary descriptions’ Daily Mail ‘A tender, thought-provoking novel. It examines love and how we express it and reveals the corrosive effect that guilt can have on the whole family’ WI Life Magazine Grace has not had twelve people at her table for a long time. Hers isn’t the kind of family who share regular Sunday meals. But it isn’t every day you turn seventy. As Grace prepares the feast, she reflects on her life, her marriage and her friendships. ‘This incredible novel is not only a luscious and lyrical tribute to the power of food as a force to bring people together, it’s also an insightful reflection on the dynamic and powerful nature of family relationships’ Marjorie DeLuca ‘A wise and tender novel about food, friendship and marriage' Kristina Olsson, author of Boy, Lost and Shell 'An emotional and uplifting look at how food brings families together' Eva Woods, author of How to be Happy ‘I loved Grace's Table. Sally Piper makes the ordinary extraordinary in her finely observed and profoundly moving snapshot of a woman preparing to feed her family. The events of the day, and Grace's flashbacks to both happier and sadder times, show how the choosing, cooking and serving of food can say so much about the dynamics of our relationships. Love, comfort, power, control and secrecy are all bound up in the simple acts that Grace - and all of us - carry out unquestioningly. It's a delight to discover, in Grace's Table, a story that's so simple yet so deeply thought-provoking' Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus ‘This is a wonderful book reflecting on love, relationships, friendship and all of it centred around food' The Big Book Club ‘The lovely simple gestures of cooking trigger intimate thoughts and memories. Piper captures all this with the deft touch of a home cook who understands the undercurrents that flavour the simplest domestic and social dynamics' Caroline Baum

About the Author :
Sally Piper is an Australian-based writer. Her debut novel Grace’s Table (UQP 2014) was shortlisted in the 2011 Queensland Premier’s Literary Award – Emerging Queensland Author category and in 2013 she was awarded a Varuna Publishing Fellowship for her manuscript.  Sally has had short fiction and non-fiction published in various online and print publications, including a prize-winning short story in the first One Book Many Brisbanes anthology, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Saturday Paper, Weekend Australian and WQ plus other literary magazines and journals in the UK. She has been interviewed for radio, been a guest panellist at literary festivals and delivered many author talks and readings.

Review :
‘Grace’s Table is a gem’ Anne Goodwin ‘very enjoyable and a fun read, perfect for a summer vacation’ Butterfly in the Sky ‘Piper infused her narrative with humour, with mouth-watering descriptions of food, food that fed a family, that identified with the traits of the individuals. It was clever and insightful, utterly engaging and an absolute delight.’ My Bookish Blogspot ‘I fell in love with Grace. Such a wonderful character!... This was an unexpected gem of a read’ Mrs Brown’s Books ‘A great read for anyone who loves character stories, and family dynamics and a bit of drama’ Head in the Pages ‘This book was just exquisite. I’ve never read a more personal and immersive story in my life’ Jodie Loves Books ‘I love the concept. A book based around eating, could there be anything better’ Charlie Moons Bookclub ‘I found this book to be such an interesting and emotional read’ My Bookworm Life ‘There are some really lovely moments but also heartbreaking ones… so entertaining’ Somewhere in a Book ‘I adore Sally Piper’s writing style – it flows beautifully and she has created an atmosphere within the book that has love, hate, loyalty in equal measure’ Cenbookfairy ‘She makes your heart fill with fondness, makes you cry and leaves you needing to hug your Gran in this beautifully written book’ Jesika’s Bookshelf ‘So lovely and moving’ Book Coffee and Fun