CULTURE CLUB
CAMBRIDGE EDITION
Book Club NEED A NEW READ TO CURL UP WITH? THESE DELIGHTFUL DEBUTS WILL SEE YOU THROUGH THE LAST OF WINTER
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
The Things We Lost BY JYOTI PATEL
away from home in the north of England and relationships with friends old and new. Though his mother has kept secrets to protect her son, it slowly becomes apparent that some truths are better out than in – and Avani’s journey through an abusive childhood and navigating her tricky relationship with her brother will leave you heartbroken for the losses, cheering her on as she steps closer to where she should have been had her husband survived. This is spectacularly written and totally absorbing, rich with layers, nuance and emotion, and packed with beautifully descriptive prose. It will make you feel the losses, hunger for beautifully described Gujarati dishes and cross your fingers for a swift sequel.
This debut novel from writer Jyoti Patel landed the 2021 #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize, and it’ll only take a few pages for you to understand why. Teenage Nik knows it’s best not to ask his mother Avani about what happened to his father, who died suddenly before Nik was born. Yet when his beloved grandfather Rohan passes away, everything changes, including the family’s unspoken rules about what’s best left undisturbed. Nik’s questions now need to be answered so he can learn the truth about the shadows that have hung over his family for as long as he can remember – while also juggling the everyday demands of life in London and the accompanying watchful aunties, university studies
Spectacularly written and totally absorbing, rich with layers
28 FEBRUARY 2023 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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