This was a great story about heartbreak and families. It had me hooked from the very beginning, and definitely teaches a few life lessons. Thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to read the next by Tanya Atapattu.

When Anjali finds out that her boyfriends cheated on her, her life turns upside down - she is heartbroken, abandoned and lonely. Her life revolves around her work in a flower shop with her best friend, and awkward Sunday lunches at her mum's - without Jack she is adrift, and she is throwing herself into flings and romances - she even lets her Sri Lankan mum to set her up. But she comes to realise that her problems reach much deeper - into a heart of her family, to her relationship with her mother, sister and her deceased father.

"Things by mother told me" is a slow burning book which touches on many issues – mental health, loss, cultural differences and love. I really enjoyed Anjali’s pursuit of happiness, and her slow discovery of things that were really relevant and missing from her life. I must say that I enjoyed the second part much more, as it concentrated less on love life and more about Anjali’s family, especially her relationship with her sister, Shanthi. The beginning was steering towards the romance, but I am glad that the author decided to dig deeper – despite the funny bits there are also moving moments that make you think and reflect on the realities of different people’s lives.

Thanks to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

My expectations were already pretty high for this book because contemporary South Asian diaspora stories are my jam, but if anything, this book managed to exceed them. I tend to read multiple books at once, but when I was reading this I basically did not leave my bed until I finished it.

The main character of this book is Anjali, a 29-year-old British Sri-Lankan woman facing the collapse of her long-term relationship. Anjali is forced to confront her situation and the key relationships she has in her increasingly complicated life.

So far so chick lit but no no no.. it is SO much more than that. One thing that really stuck out for me when I was reading was how grown up and real this book is. I can’t directly relate to Anjali’s experience, but I felt like I just GOT her, everything felt utterly believable.

Although there were numerous laugh out loud moments, the book also deals with some serious issues including mental illness, racism, infidelity, grief and loss. The exploration of mental illness in particular was sensitively done without turning into a big tropey mess.

Anjali’s love life is one of key threads running through the plot and it’s hard to say much about this aspect of the story without giving much away but if you’re in your 20s or 30s and have experienced the highs and lows of love well... there’s lots of angst here to keep you hooked - sorry Anjali. There were moments I was reading thinking “gurl...no” but then remember all the dumb shit I've done in the name of love and that was one of the best aspects of this story for me – I could actually relate.

The relationship between Anjali and her mother in particular really hit home for me. I remember being that age and struggling to connect with my mother and come to a mutual understanding about the decisions we’ve both made and the deeper motivations behind them. I felt like the familial relationships were the real heart of the novel.

I honestly can’t think of a single thing I didn’t enjoy about this book, it had it all. If you’re a millenial woman whose life is a big hot mess sometimes, then this is the book for you.

At first I thought this was going to be a chick lit style of read but boy was I wrong .Its a heartwarming yet heartbreaking beautifully written novel of love, loss, cultural clashes, family expectations in short a story about modern life in Britain today. When Anjali breaks up with Jack her boyfriend of 10 years she is inevitably drawn back into the life of her Sri Lankan mother and older sister ,despite embarking on a series of behaviours that her mother would most definitely not approve of. The story will make you both laugh and cry in equal measure . I look forward to mare from this author

I relished every page of this book. I think Anjali is such a relatable female protagonist, who, aged 29, still has one toe dipped back in her childhood and her feelings relating to her family whilst struggling with what she truly wants for herself and her own identity. Betrayed by her boyfriend, who was her anchor amongst the chaos, this sets her adrift in to unknown waters, some of which steer her to confront what she has been avoiding for such a long time.

There were parts where I laughed so much because of her humour and the way she interprets situations; it's written in such a clever way that you feel you're inside Anjali's head, almost part of her conscience. Her love of stories and of flowers (she works in a florists) was captivating and I found her such a fantastic character.

There are also heartbreaking and deeply moving parts that grasp you, make you question not only what the characters are thinking but what you'd do in the same circumstances, and makes you see things differently along their journeys.

I adored Anjali, Clara and their relationship, but also the complex and endearing relationship between Anjali, her mother and her sister, their love expressed mostly in unsaid actions that completely overwhelmed me by the end of the book.

I feel it's a story about finding yourself, your true home, and an acceptance of who we are, as individuals, and what we need. This book also explores the deep connections to food, tradition, family and centres these amongst grief, mental health, racism and cultural diversity.

I highly recommend this book so you can get to know Anjali for yourself.

Things My Mother Told Me, is mostly about the relationships that the main character Anjali has and how they dictate her decisions and feelings. Anjali’s Sri Lanka mother wants her to marry a “brown” doctor and Anjali doesn’t really know what she wants. I did enjoy this book but I would have liked it to further explore her relationship with her sister as that part felt unfulfilled.

An addictive, emotional, gripping, touching and interesting read
Excellent writing
This book is excellent and is one of my favourite reads of 2019

An easy enjoyable read about families and relationships.

Thanks for allowing me to review this book.

An addictive read, emotional, entertaining, touching and soo interesting. You connect and feel for Anjali so much, a wonderful read and one of my favourites this year.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion