The Things We Thought We Knew

Story

Ravine Roy is bed-bound due to chronic pain syndrome, and keeps the outside world where she wants it - outside. However, as questions and secrets being to emerge, she is forced to confront things she’s been avoiding in a story full of twists and turns.

Why we chose it

A coming of age novel about confronting the past

Where it came from

Mahsuda Snaith drew on her own childhood when drafting the book at age 16, as she is also the daughter of Bangladeshi parents and grew up on a council estate. She came back to the story many years later, and although the story changed, the heart of it stayed the same.

Where it went next

The Things We Thought We Knew was well-received by critics, being described as ‘a powerful debut’ and ‘an original coming of age novel’. It was a World Book Night choice in 2019.

Associated stories

Mahsuda Snaith also writes short stories, and her second novel How to Find Home was released in 2019.