When digital marketer Jyoti Patel started writing her debut novel back in 2018, she would have had little clue that grief, and how it insidiously affects families, would be a hot topic thanks to the royals when its publication date arrived this month. Nor would she have known that The Things That We Lost would go on to win Stormzy’s 2021 #Merky Books New Writers’ prize based solely on its first chapter, or that she’d make the coveted list of The Observer’s 10 best new novelists for 2023.
“In less than 400 pages, Patel covers heavy-hitting topics such as the aforementioned grief, plus racism, identity, family tension, mental health, coming of age and more, with a deceivingly light touch,” says Stylist Loves editor Gemma Crisp. “Told from the perspective of 18-year-old Nik and his British Gujarati mother Avani, the novel skips between decades as it delves into Nik’s longing to know more about his white father who died before he was born and Avani’s refusal to comply due to her guilt surrounding his death. When Avani’s beloved father dies and Nik leaves London for university, his determination to find out more about his dad – triggered by a secret key given to him by grandfather – intensifies, just as his mental health starts to unravel and his previously close relationship with Avani disintegrates. Poignant yet fast-paced, Patel has mastered a gripping family saga on her first go.” £16.99, Bookshop.org