The Things That We Lost by  Jyoti Patel

The Things That We Lost

Jyoti Patel

Nikhil knows there is more to his father's death than his mother is telling him, but how easy is it to find out the truth when nobody wants to talk about it? The characters in this book are so real to us we love them as though they were our own. Nikhil is suffering at a vulnerable stage in his life and I just wanted to shield and protect him. A brilliant first novel - hopefully the first of many.

Extract

Listen. None of this is important, really. It's not what I meant to tell you. I have something of his. I shouldn't have kept it for so long, but I always thought, one day, it could be yours. I've been waiting for the right moment to give it to you. She's not going to be happy with me. He glanced towards the entrance of the ward again.

What is it?

There's a key in my study. It hangs from a nail at the back of my desk.

There was a bustle at the door.

Go on, Bapu.

Nik's grandfather shook his head slightly, as if to silence him. His eyes were following a figure through the ward, towards them. Nik's mother.

Parallels
  • Real Life by Brandon Taylor
  • Us by David Nicholls
  • La La Land - the film