Kate meticulously plans a dinner to mark the anniversary of a death in the family, from the fancy table setting to the perfect baked alaska waiting in the freezer. But by the end of the night, dessert is in the bin, the guests are gone, and Kate is spinning out of control.
Set over four periods from the 1990s to the present day, between Carlow and Dublin, the family farmhouse and Trinity College, Dinner Party is a beautifully observed, dark and twisty novel that thrillingly unravels into past family secrets and tragedy. Kate is coming to terms both with what it means to be a survivor, as well as a longstanding battle with anorexia.
Haunting and unforgettable, Dinner Party explores, in searing detail, how the past informs the present, the inevitability of childhood damage resurfacing in later life - and yet, how despite everything, we can't help returning home.
'It's a pleasure to be had on the very first page of Gilmartin's stunning novel. Taut, compelling, Enright-esque' - Meg Mason, author of SORROW AND BLISS