Things My Mother Told Me

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book.

Listen to a sample

What to expect

I've read lots of stories about Asian mothers, seen various send-ups of them on TV programmes and watched all the standard Asian coming-of-age films. I've seen lots of send-ups about mothers in general, Asian or not. I don't want to make my mum out to be just another caricature. But sometimes she can make it really difficult.

When Anjali finds out that Jack, her boyfriend of ten years, has been cheating on her, it throws her world into chaos. Heartbroken, she fills the emptiness by embarking on a series of flings that her traditional Sri Lankan mother would (mostly) disapprove of.

Yet she can no longer avoid her mother or Shanthi, her distant older sister. And so begins her real journey, one that will make Anjali confront a past she's been desperate to forget. But maybe the past can also be the bridge to her future . . .

Travelling between England and Sri Lanka, Things My Mother Told Me is a warm, moving and funny story about love, loss, family, cultural divides and the voices we hear in our heads. It will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

Critics Review

  • A heartwarming, witty novel about what happens when life as you know it falls apart. Refreshingly honest and poignant, I was carried along with Anjali’s story completely, and felt like her family were my own by the end! I loved this.

    Sadie Pearse
  • Funny and big-hearted and poignant

    Julie Cohen

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.