The denouementto the novel is quite open-ended. Is it to suggest that there is no closure in real life? Did you ever consider including any sections from the perspective of Agniben, Avani’s mother? She seemed like a very complicated character. Narrated from the dual perspectives of 18 year old Nikhil (Nik) and his mother Avani, the novel switches between the past and present. And we are with Nik every step of the way as following the loss of his beloved grandfather, he tries to piece together the events surrounding his father's death. Astonishingly, she wakes up the next day to a different life, which is many years previous to the life she was living. While getting accustomed to this different life, she finds out that her choice hasn't led her to be the better person she was in her previous life making her to set out to right as many wrongs as she could in the life she now seems to live. The film was released in the United States and Canada on October 19, 2007 and in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2008.

This is a debut novel, and like the previous 2 debut novels I've read, it absolutely delivers in an extraordinary way. Finally though I would say that the author really lands the ending – which manages to avoid dramatic revelations or overly saccharine resolution, but still finished on a memorable and hopeful note. The thing that really stood out for me in this book is Patel's representation of second - and third generation 'immigrant' families and mixed-race relationships in contemporary London; something that we haven't really seen enough of in literature given the prevalence of people in London (the setting of this book) with our vast array of varied inheritances and the mixing pot of our friendship groups from school onwards. Likewise, the development of Nik's character is handled with real insight and I thought it was especially powerful to feature a young man experiencing mental health issues. As with Avani, he is allowed to be a flawed, complex character and the spiralling of his emotions is painful to read about. His reaction to the loss of his beloved grandfather, followed by the sort of life changes which might be expected at his age but which can result in a fracturing of a protective, supportive framework, is so completely believable.The version I read of this book is an uncorrected proof, so my opinion may be based on elements that will not be present in the final version. The Things We Lost provides a dizzying view into a troubled woman’s past and present. Unfortunately, both lives are messy.

Nik has just finished his A-levels and is starting university. Avani is coming to terms with another layer of grief having previously lost her husband before Nik’s birth. The opening chapters about grief and loss were powerful and authentic. Having lost my own grandfather days before starting the book, every single line was written perfectly. Alternating between the present day & a past that may or may not be real life, we learn about Madison’s unhappiness & her wish to see if different choices would lead to a better life, much like Jimmy Stewart’s character in the famed Christmas movie. But Madison soon learns this wish could have consequences with life-altering implications, like never being able to meet her beloved daughters in her new life (hello Butterfly Effect!). The Things We Lost is a thoughtful book that gave me all the feels, and if you know me, you know how much I love an emotional read. I am guilty of asking for that reset button, but what if it comes at an extreme cost? Maybe there’s a different answer to that question that lies within us all. Loved this!It’s something I find myself drawn towards as a reader and as a writer – to the way untold truths take root between friends, lovers, families. In my debut novel, The Things That We Lost, I explore a family history through the eyes of a British Indian mother and son, Avani and Nik, as Nik tries to uncover the circumstances of his father’s death.

This is a big book, full of assured and affecting writing. Secrets spill and relationships sour, sacrifices are made and promises are broken, as plot twists propel the narrative forward to a dramatic finale. Like Nik, the reader is on a quest for the truth: what really happened to Nik’s father? Halle Berry gives her best performance since "Monster's Ball" (yes even better than "Catwoman"). We feel her happiness, pain, desperation and hope. The cute kids are played by an amazing 11 yr old Alexis Llewellyn and Micah Berry (not her real life son). Also strong is Alison Lohman, who just doesn't work enough these days. However the strongest performance is by Benecio. I am not sure if the role was written for him or if he just perfectly captures best friend Jerry. It is most complicated role and requires enormous depth. Maddie Butler has lost the luster in her marriage, and is dealing with the aftermath of her own cheating. And she can’t help but wonder how life would be if she’d chosen an alternate path, perhaps one where she didn’t end up with her current husband.As Maddie navigates this new world, she realizes she is the product of her own unhappiness. But is this new do-over exactly what she needs, even if it means never seeing her daughters again? I definitely connected with this book and with the characters due to my Gujarati heritage. I recognised a lot of Gujarati traditions, words and phrases which are so familiar to me and it was so refreshing seeing them written in a book. Maggie Giles, a Canadian writer, has made her debut with 'The Things We Lost'. I got an opportunity to read an ARC (Advanved Reader Copy) of this book though the book is only getting out on April 19th. The story is told through the perspectives of both Avani and Nik. How significant was it for you to keep these two strands distinct?

I requested this debut novel by Jyoti Patel, who won the #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize in 2021, attracted by its themes of family and identity. Although it centres on a young person, it’s not one of those struggling millennials novels but a story about generations and the stories they tell or don’t tell. It did not disappoint, and reminded me of Sairish Hussain’s “ The Family Tree” or Kasim Ali’s “ Good Intentions” with their multicultural and university settings. Despite having a degree in literature, it wasn’t until my early twenties that I discovered novels by writers from the diaspora. Nik has been looking for father figures through his life, and now his grandfather’s gone he thinks of his stepdad Paul – however, he gets to see Paul through new, more adult eyes. Thank goodness for his good friends, old school and college mates and a couple of new university friends, as well as his friend Will’s dad, a found family he will be glad of. His growing anxiety and depression are not helped by being at university in a small, very monocultural city after growing up in multicultural Harrow, and we’re left hoping he’ll be able to transfer, as his cousin also did. You are working on another novel around aBritish Gujarati family living in London. Could you tell us a little more about it?When do you hope to get this published?It totally transformed my Zaidi’s affecting memoir recounts his journey growing up in east London in a devout Muslim household. He has a secret, one he cannot share with anyone – he is gay. When he moves away to study at Oxford he finds, for the first time, the possibility of living his life authentically. The dissonance this causes in him – of finding a way to accept himself while knowing his family will not do the same – is so sensitively depicted. One of the most moving chapters includes him coming home to a witch doctor, who his family has summoned to “cure” him. This is an incredibly important read, full of hope. Writea message in a bottleto other players about anything. Tell a story, share a secret, try to help a player or even harm them.