The Things That We Lost

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Jyoti Patel: I wanted to keep this story very much about Nik and Avani – one of the things I enjoy most about the story is how deep we get, psychologically, into the two of them. I really wanted to look at this specific relationship between mother and son. Jerry is still struggling with his addiction but seems to be well on his way to recovery. He leaves red flowers on Audrey's doorstep with a note that reads "Accept the good," a phrase which Jerry himself had told Brian, and that Brian had subsequently said to Audrey many times.

A shared narrative between mother, Avani and her son Nik, this beautifully written book explores their relationship following the death of Avani’s father. Throughout the book we follow the aftermath through the perspectives of both characters - we understand more and more about each character as the book progresses through snippets of their past experiences, conversations with friends and family and their innermost thoughts and feelings that they each keep to themselves. It’s through this experience that Maddie learns just how much her own emotions have affected her path in life. That do-over she so desperately wanted? Was it really that? At the cost of no longer having her daughters, or was it just a matter of accepting her feelings and walking through the grief over the loss of her friend? With a deft and delicate touch, issues of racism, prejudice, culture clashes, secrets and sacrifices are shared through the history and stories of Avani, her parents, her husband, Elliot, and their son, Nik. I didn’t have a super clear idea of which direction the novel would go in when I began writing, but I knew that these themes would be integral.There are other antagonists too, and Avani and Nik aren’t always their best selves. However, you get to know the pair well enough to realise that their behaviour while experiencing a series of significant upheavals isn’t representative of their whole characters. I could particularly identify with their feelings about Rohan’s house, which Avani has to empty and put on the market. Josh Rosenblatt (2007-10-19). "Things We Lost in the Fire". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 2007-10-27. I think we often wonder what could have been, and this debut thriller delivers! It dives deep into the darkest secrets of Maddie's past. Will Maddie realize her mistakes, right her wrongs and make things right to alter her course now that she knows what is in store for her future? Will she meet Nathan again and be reunited with her children? A deftly assured debut novel about a fractured family and how words left unspoken can be more devastating than the truth.' - Red Magazine Despite having a degree in literature, it wasn’t until my early twenties that I discovered novels by writers from the diaspora.

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? Family dynamics and relationships have always interested me — all of my writing, in one way or another, looks at what happens when fissures form between people. Also, as you mention, I wanted to show Avani and Nik almost growing up alongside each other in the 1970s and ’80s London and 2017-18 respectively, to examine what was going on in Britain during those two moments.

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I’m super excited to share my thoughts on The Things We Lost. I love a “what if” story, especially lately because I’ve been contemplating that very question in my own life. It’s amazing to think how one decision can shape the trajectory of one’s life. Audrey Burke and her warm and loving husband Brian have been happily married eleven years; they have a ten-year-old daughter named Harper and a six-year-old son named Dory. Jerry Sunborne is a heroin addict who has been Brian's close childhood friend for many years. Maddie Butler has been haunted for fourteen years. After the suspicious death of a friend when she was twenty-two, Maddie tried to move on, convincing herself there was nothing she could have done. Now in an unfulfilling marriage, she realizes how much the guilt has led to an unhappy life.