Bookseller Reviews
View all
An Assured Debut Novel
Avani, her son Nikhil and her father are a team. When his grandfather dies, Nikhil struggles the most with the loss. His impending move to university, the ... READ MORE
I am with you x
I’ve just put this down and had to sit for a moment to fully absorb the power of this book. The Things That We Lost deals with various themes of grief, gui... READ MORE
A moving and heartwarming story
The Things That We Lost is a delicate and heartwarming read about family, love, belonging and loss. Full of empathy, it has an immersive plot and the writi... READ MORE
Synopsis
AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF 2023
WINNER OF THE 2021 #MERKY BOOKS NEW WRITERS' PRIZE
Nik has lots of questions about his late father but knows better than to ask his mother, Avani. It's their unspoken rule.
But when his grandfather dies, Nik has the opportunity to learn about the man he never met. Armed with a key and new knowledge about his parents' past, Nik sets out to unlock the secrets that his mother has been holding onto his whole life.
The Things That We Lost is a beautifully tender exploration of family, loss and how far we will go to protect the ones we love.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Cornerstone
- ISBN: 9781529186345
- Number of pages: 384
- Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 24 mm
- Weight: 265g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allHugely Moving
A hugely moving story about loss and grief and family relationships, that tells the story of Avani and her son, Nic, from the time of Avani's growing up to... READ MORE
Enjoyable read
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
I was unsure whether I would like this as it’s not my usual kind of book, and I did want to bail after a c... READ MORE
Moving and Sensitive
4.5 stars
At first, as I neared the end of this book I was getting irritated that there wouldn't be enough time for the follow up story of Nik and Avani. ... READ MORE
Beautifully written and wonderfully nuanced
The Things That We Lost is an oh so wonderfully nuanced new literary fiction debut by Jyoti Patel, published by Merky Books.
Narrated from the dual perspe... READ MORE
Throughly enjoyable
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved it. It was so beautifully written. I could feel the pain and grief of the characters as we progress through the story.
The Things That... READ MORE
Loved it!
Nik is reeling from the loss of his grandfather, as is his mother, but the hole he has left in Nik's life is trying to be filled with memories and informat... READ MORE
Netgalley Review!
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This book really touched on grief and loss in a special way. I truly fe... READ MORE
Coming of age story
This is the story of Nik, and how he finds out what happened to his late father, and why his mother, Avani will not talk about him. Nik learns more from hi... READ MORE
I could relate to this book
I related to a lot of the content in this book - the food, the family, the British-Indian straddling of cultures and lifestyles, etc. and it was a wonderfu... READ MORE
Perfectly Pitched
The Things That We Lost by Jyoti Patel in an incredible debut. Picked as an Observer debut of 2023, following in the shoes of great books like Shuggie Bain... READ MORE
Beautifully written and keenly observed
"The Things That We Lost" is a beautifully written and keenly observed exploration of grief, loss , love, cultural manners and mores, and a changing world ... READ MORE
A fabulous debut.
This is a beautifully written tale of family, of grief and identity. The story is a dual POV, one partly told through the view of Nik who is off to univers... READ MORE
Hugely Moving
A hugely moving story about loss and grief and family relationships, that tells the story of Avani and her son, Nic, from the time of Avani's growing up to... READ MORE
Tender and touching debut
A peaceful opening belies this title. Avani is at university with her best friend and her brother works close by. The freedom of living independently from ... READ MORE
Moving family story, beautiful writing
This is the story of Nik, and how he finds out what happened to his late father, and why his mother, Avani will not talk about him. Nik learns more from hi... READ MORE
Love, loss, grief, secrets
The Things That We Lost
by Jyoti Patel
An emotive and tender story of loss and grief, home and identity, secrets and love and lengths one may go to protec... READ MORE
Moving and definitely recommended.
This book felt like I was coming home, a really warm hug, tackling sensitive topics such as grief, identity, racism, mental health and relationships in a b... READ MORE
brilliant debut
This is a triumph of a debut novel; a beautifully written exploration of grief, bereavement and trying to find where you belong.
My slight quibble would be... READ MORE
Moving and Poignant Debut
The Things That We Lost is an exploration of families, relationship and grief, and also a poignant, thought-provoking novel about growing up as a person of... READ MORE
Absolutely loved it!
A beautifully written book that brought me close to tears at several points! The multiple narratives are skilfully handled, and the warmth and richness of ... READ MORE
A beautiful, poignant debut
This novel is a deftly woven tapestry of complex characters and relationships, propelled along by the quest to uncover family secrets.
And it is a thought... READ MORE
Beautiful
Nik is reeling from the loss of his grandfather, as is his mother, but the hole he has left in Nik's life is trying to be filled with memories and informat... READ MORE
A masterpiece
A captivating read page after page
I am finding it hard to truly put in to words how searingly honest, multilayered and heartbreaking this book is. Explor... READ MORE
A touching novel
The Things We Lost is a compelling and moving debut that tells the story of Avani, her son Nik and her grief surrounding his father, Elliot's death before ... READ MORE
A story to curl up with and get lost in
In The Things That We Lost, Jyoti Patel has given us two fully realised characters in Nik and Avani. Neither mother, Avani, nor son, Nik, are without flaws... READ MORE
A touching novel
The Things We Lost is a compelling and moving debut that tells the story of Avani, her son Nik and her grief surrounding his father, Elliot's death before ... READ MORE