The Things We Thought We Knew: Snaith Mahsuda - Tapa dura

"An original and affecting coming-of-age novel ... Snaith's clear-eyed depiction of estate life at the turn of the millennium resists cliches" (The Observer)

"Written in clear yet multi-layered prose ... a vibrant portrayal of estate life in the late nineties and an affecting story of friendship, dealing with pain, grief and coming-of-age in a single-parent family. While those big themes pervade, it’s the minutiae of life in Ravine’s and Amma’s flat that bring welcome humour, like her descriptions of Amma in her sari and white trainers, cleaned daily with vinegar and lemon ... It’s an original, heartfelt read that will appeal as much to children of the nineties and noughties as it will readers of any age excited by a new British talent." (Independent)

"Snaith has a delightfully fresh voice and vividly conveys the claustrophobic nature of Ravine's situation as the mystery of what happened ten years earlier is gradually revealed." (Daily Mail Fanny Blake)

"Definitely worth squeezing into your hand luggage... one of the most brilliant summer beach reads ... a promising debut" (Red)

"A powerful debut ... told with warmth and humanity, this is a novel that shines because the characters feel so human and their plights feel so real" (CultureFly)

"Mahsuda Snaith is an exciting new voice in fiction. Her writing is deceptive. Crystal clear sentences ooze with texture and nuance. Characters that drip with lived experience. And above all, a clarity of vision. Mahsuda's work is brave and bold and she has a massive future ahead of her." (Nikesh Shukla, prize-winning author and one of The Bookseller's Rising Stars of 2016)

"A break out book from an incredibly talented debut writer [and] a quirky lovable mystery set in a Leicester council estate ... a brilliant, heartbreaking debut that perfectly captures the delirious highs and bruising lows of intoxicating friendship. What made me fall for The Things We Thought We Knew is its quintessentially British humour, which recalls Joanna Cannon's brilliant The Trouble With Goats and Sheep or Sue Townsend and Nina Stibbe's books. It's the understand that the most mundane things in life are a rich source of comedy and that they often go hand in hand with every day tragedy ... something truly special and original. Read, weep and laugh." (Francesca Brown Stylist Magazine)

"This intriguing debut gives a voice to the marginalised" (Big Issue)

"Fans of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry will love this... A very impressive debut – I’m sure we’ll hear more of Mahsuda Snaith" (My Weekly)

"Brimming with great characters... one to watch" (Good Housekeeping)

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Description
Ten years ago, two girls’ lives changed forever.
Now one of them is ready to tell their story.

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'A quirky lovable mystery and a brilliant, heartbreaking debut' Stylist
'A new face of fiction [and] an original coming of age novel' Observer

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The first memory I have of you is all knickers and legs. You had flipped yourself into a handstand and couldn’t get back down. We became best friends, racing slugs, pretending to be spies – all the things that children do.

Ten years later, eighteen-year-old Ravine Roy spends every day in her room. Completing crosswords and scribbling in her journal, she keeps the outside world exactly where she wants it; outside.

But as the real world begins to invade her carefully controlled space, she is forced to finally confront the questions she’s been avoiding. Who is her mother meeting in secret? Who has moved in next door?

And why, all those years ago, when two girls pulled on their raincoats and wellies and headed out into the woods did only one of them return?

‘A breakout book from an incredibly talented debut writer. Read, weep and laugh’ Stylist

‘An original heartfelt read by a new British talent’ Independent

‘A delightfully fresh voice’ Daily Mail

Keynote
From one of the most exciting new voices of the year, a heart-warming, poignant and powerful debut about the friends we remember and the ones we are forced to forget.

Author: Mahsuda Snaith Biography
Mahsuda Snaith is the winner of the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2014 and Bristol Short Story Prize 2014, and a finalist in the Mslexia Novel Writing Competition 2013. She lives in Leicester where she leads writing workshops and teaches part-time in primary schools. She was an Observer New Face of Fiction in 2017. Mahsuda is a fan of reading (obviously) and crochet (not so obviously).

Illustrator Biography - no copy text

Biography
Mahsuda Snaith is the winner of the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2014 and Bristol Short Story Prize 2014, and a finalist in the Mslexia Novel Writing Competition 2013. She lives in Leicester where she leads writing workshops and teaches part-time in primary schools. Mahsuda is a fan of reading (obviously) and crochet (not so obviously). This is her first novel.