Things They Lost

By: Okwiri Oduor

Narrated by: Christel Mutombo

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.

Great performance

Beautiful story and beautifully read. The author is extremely creative. I will definitely recommend it to others.

Story impeccably written and read

Things They Lost was impeccably written and read like an enchanting song. The writing was clean and tight - not an unnecessary word to be found. The character development was layered and captivating. The superstitious lore of the local ideology was beautifully intertwined with the stark reality that humans are complex creatures made up of darkness and light.

Mind bending

What an incredible story! Listen with an open mind and heart and let the story take you on an adventure. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Weird

Could not get in to this story at all. It had too much silliness for me.