An estimated 30% of American adults are estranged from a family member—a quiet yet widespread reality that underscores deep emotional divides in countless households. This difficult subject is masterfully unpacked in Carla Seaquist’s Across The Kitchen Table, a deeply moving narrative that examines the fragile bonds of family through the lens of personal loss and emotional reckoning.
Far more than a conventional memoir, Across The Kitchen Table offers an intimate exploration of familial conflict, grief, and the possibility of reconciliation. At the heart of the book is the author’s own story—marked by the heartbreaking death of her daughter and the subsequent fallout that strained her family ties. Seaquist doesn’t shy away from raw honesty; instead, she opens her life to readers with striking vulnerability, illuminating the complex emotional terrain of estrangement with sensitivity and depth.
Seaquist’s storytelling is both courageous and compassionate. Through candid reflection, she invites readers to confront the hidden pain that often underlies fractured family relationships. Her journey from sorrow to self-awareness, and from alienation to a tentative healing, is rendered with nuance and emotional clarity. It is a narrative that encourages readers to examine their own family dynamics and consider the role of empathy, communication, and forgiveness in mending broken connections.
Known for her acclaimed body of work as a playwright, essayist, and author, Carla Seaquist brings a rich background in exploring social and cultural issues to her writing. Her plays, including Who Cares? and Looking for Atticus, and her numerous essays on politics, identity, and personal growth, reflect a career devoted to examining the human condition. In Across The Kitchen Table, she applies the same intellectual depth and emotional insight to one of the most personal of subjects: the family.
What sets this book apart is Seaquist’s ability to offer both reflection and resonance. She gives voice to the silent struggles many endure and provides a framework for understanding the emotional cost of unresolved conflicts. At the same time, her story carries a sense of hope—a reminder that healing, though difficult, is possible.
Across The Kitchen Table is more than a chronicle of loss; it is a call for awareness and compassion. Whether or not readers have experienced estrangement themselves, Seaquist’s message is universal: that family relationships, while often fraught, are also deeply vital—and that confronting pain with honesty can lead to profound transformation.
This is a book for anyone who values connection, who has wrestled with distance or silence among loved ones, and who dares to imagine the possibility of reconciliation. With grace and sincerity, Carla Seaquist urges us all to come back to the table—and to listen.
Watch the book trailer: https://youtu.be/lmyVYfJKPsw
