Published By: Faber
Pages: 368
Released On: 29/01/2026
This is a love story of two people working side by side but living worlds apart.
Mira’s days are filled with duty and light on freedom. In a new country, living with a husband she barely knows – and who she fears she’ll never love – Mira is desperate to discover all that her new life in England might offer.
And then there’s Tahliil. The quiet, beautiful man she sees at work each day. With a depth in his eyes and a face full of questions. The first person in this new world who listens to Mira’s hopes for who she yearns to become.
But beyond their lunchtime encounters, the pair couldn’t lead more different lives: the duties that bind them, the homes they are trying to build threaten to subsume them. As Mira and Tahliil navigate the deep and turbulent waters of their new worlds can they find a way to be together, and will finding each other set them free?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
This was another book I had pre-ordered but sadly had to cancel due to money issues, and if truth be told, I wasn’t completely sure what it was about, but it intrigued me – and I am a huge sucker for a beautiful or interesting cover.
I fell for Mira. She’s been wed to essentially a stranger, forced to move thousands of miles to a new country where she is not fluent in the language, she has no family there, no job. I won’t even pretend to say I know what an arranged marriage is like, but Manish, he’s written it in such a way that feels honest and authentic, without sensationalising it, but without pretending it’s all sunshine and roses.
I didn’t like to Mira’s new husband Rajiv. I know he was going through similar things, marrying a stranger and whatnot, but he was at least still in his own country with his family and friends, and I felt he was selfish, only thinking about himself.
I also didn’t like the second storyline between Mira and Tahliil. It felt very forced and I’d have preferred just to read about Mira’s new life in England, rather than have this traditional love triangle going on.
This is what I would refer to as “literary fiction” and I generally only read that genre when it’s part of an award shortlist or something. I have read some good ones but I am more a fan of thrillers, fantasy, romance books, and so I did wonder if this would be too “literary” for me. If I would spend more time thinking about its importance than actually enjoying the story for what it was. But I found it quite friendly to read.
I loved the cultural differences between the Indian characters and the English, and then the Somali, that was interesting. I don’t know Manesh’s background or heritage and it’s not my place to ask, but it’ll be interesting to know what his experience of the topics raised are, as I’m sure that would help give it more depth. I have some Indian friends and so have a rough idea of culture but the Somali culture was completely new to me and so whilst I didn’t overly enjoy that side of the story, it was interesting.
It is a romance, yes, in the sense that there is a new marriage and romantic undertones. But for me this was more of a look at culture differences, newness, finding yourself and a sense of belonging – the romantic elements were almost in the background.
It’s not an overly uplifting book. Yes there are hopeful parts but overall it is rather heavy and serious.
The ending wasn’t bad but it was open ended, which generally I don’t mind but in this circumstance I’d have liked it finished. It feels in this case that Manish couldn’t think of an ending so just left it. I’d have liked to have known what happened.
It is an interesting story but I think the pacing is wrong. This is going to sound bad but I don’t mean it like that, but nothing really happens. There’s no big twist or thrill or big action piece, it just goes on its merry way through the story and it’s well written. But because it isn’t building up to that big moment, it often feels a bit rigid and stuck and mundane and therefore it does have a tendence to feel a bit slow.
I believe this is his debut and, whilst not perfect, it was still an enjoyable book to read and a very promising debut. I could definitely see it being made into a TV series.
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