3.5
Things They Lost
ByPublisher Description
Named a Most Anticipated Book by Vogue and Vulture
“Alternately whimsical, sweet, and dark,” this astonishing debut novel about a lonely girl waiting for her mother “brim[s] with uncompromisingly African magical realism” (The New York Times).
Ayosa is a wandering spirit—joyous, exuberant, filled to the brim with longing. Her only companions in her grandmother’s crumbling house are as lonely as Ayosa herself: the ghostly Fatumas, whose eyes are the size of bay windows, who teach her to dance and wail at the death news; the Jolly-Annas, cruel birds who cover their solitude with spiteful laughter; the milkman, who never greets Ayosa and whose milk tastes of mud; and Sindano, the kind owner of a café no one ever visits. Unexpectedly, miraculously, one day Ayosa finds a friend. Yet she is always fixed on her beautiful mama, Nabumbo Promise: a mysterious and aloof photographer, she comes and goes as she pleases, with no apology or warning.
Set at the intersection of the spirit world and the human one, Things They Lost sets out a rich and magical vision of “girlhood as a time of complexity, laced with unparalleled creativity and expansion” (Vogue). Heartbreaking, elegant, and written in “giddily exuberant prose” (Financial Times), it’s a story about connection, coming-of-age, and the dizzying dualities of love at its most intoxicating and all-encompassing.
“Alternately whimsical, sweet, and dark,” this astonishing debut novel about a lonely girl waiting for her mother “brim[s] with uncompromisingly African magical realism” (The New York Times).
Ayosa is a wandering spirit—joyous, exuberant, filled to the brim with longing. Her only companions in her grandmother’s crumbling house are as lonely as Ayosa herself: the ghostly Fatumas, whose eyes are the size of bay windows, who teach her to dance and wail at the death news; the Jolly-Annas, cruel birds who cover their solitude with spiteful laughter; the milkman, who never greets Ayosa and whose milk tastes of mud; and Sindano, the kind owner of a café no one ever visits. Unexpectedly, miraculously, one day Ayosa finds a friend. Yet she is always fixed on her beautiful mama, Nabumbo Promise: a mysterious and aloof photographer, she comes and goes as she pleases, with no apology or warning.
Set at the intersection of the spirit world and the human one, Things They Lost sets out a rich and magical vision of “girlhood as a time of complexity, laced with unparalleled creativity and expansion” (Vogue). Heartbreaking, elegant, and written in “giddily exuberant prose” (Financial Times), it’s a story about connection, coming-of-age, and the dizzying dualities of love at its most intoxicating and all-encompassing.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities31 Reviews
3.5
katerina.troyanovich
Created 10 days agoShare
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“Wow! I did not expect this book to touch me the way that it did. I loved how the magical realism provided much needed levity to get through the heavy themes of neglect, abuse, and generational trauma. This story was also so unique and quite hard to put down. Many of the characters are quite lovable and some of them provoke really complicated feelings. Mother daughter relationships can be so challenging- so much love with so much pain.
Giving this 4 starts because I was not satisfied with the ending. I was hoping for more. But I still would absolutely recommend this book!”JeanieGreenie🍉
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“Absolutely gutted by the end of this book. I didn't think there was much for plot in this book, as it's more of a profile on generational trauma through a beautiful lens of magical realism. It's a hard read, a tragic read, and not an ending the reader might be hoping for. Which is very realistic, unfortunately. It broke my heart so many times.”
juan pablo andrade
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KitKat
Created 17 days agoShare
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“I dnf'ed early on. It was too hard for me to follow, the Grammer style was especially difficult to grasp as you couldn't tell thoughts from speech from just narrative at times. Just before I dnf'ed I kinda figured out the the little 12 year old was a girl and not just some weird spirit/ghost.
At this point in my life, I don't want to have to struggle to find the plot nor struggle to find basic thought or speech.”About Okwiri Oduor
Okwiri Oduor was born in Nairobi, Kenya. Her short story “My Father’s Head” won the 2014 Caine Prize for African Writing. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Granta, The New Inquiry, Kwani, and elsewhere. She has been a fellow at MacDowell and Art Omi and a visiting writer at the Lannan Center. Oduor has an MFA in creative writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She currently lives in Germany.
Other books by Okwiri Oduor
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