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The Missing Piece
When Sukanya finally finds the missing piece that's been calling to her, she must will it fit - and at what price?
London-born Sukanya has grown up dreaming of the ancient mohalla - its narrow lanes, courtyards and the fading Nawabon ki Haveli - her father left behind years ago.
When her grandmother falls ill, Sukanya is finally allowed to return to Bulandwada. Here, she is warmly embraced by people who seem to have forgotten her family's complicated past. Drawn into the intimacy of this world, she begins to believe she may be home at last.
But Bulandwada is more than poetry, history, and belonging - beneath it lie rigid hierarchies and simmering resentments that punish defiance. As Sukanya becomes entangled in the hidden conflicts of the mohalla, she is forced to confront its darker truths.
Extraordinarily compelling, The Missing Piece is a story of reckoning with the cost of inheritance and the uncertain promise of future.
London-born Sukanya has grown up dreaming of the ancient mohalla - its narrow lanes, courtyards and the fading Nawabon ki Haveli - her father left behind years ago.
When her grandmother falls ill, Sukanya is finally allowed to return to Bulandwada. Here, she is warmly embraced by people who seem to have forgotten her family's complicated past. Drawn into the intimacy of this world, she begins to believe she may be home at last.
But Bulandwada is more than poetry, history, and belonging - beneath it lie rigid hierarchies and simmering resentments that punish defiance. As Sukanya becomes entangled in the hidden conflicts of the mohalla, she is forced to confront its darker truths.
Extraordinarily compelling, The Missing Piece is a story of reckoning with the cost of inheritance and the uncertain promise of future.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 16, 2026
About the author
Parul Sharma
5 books25 followersParul Sharma is an Indian novelist and essayist based in Singapore. She grew up in the small towns of Uttar Pradesh, gaining early exposure to eccentric characters, complex family dynamics, and layered social hierarchies. This has lent her a distinctive voice blending the flavours of mofussil India with big-city dilemmas.
After studying Economics and graduating from the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, Parul worked for two decades in qualitative market research before turning to writing full-time.
Her debut novel, Bringing Up Vasu: That First Year (Westland, 2009), was followed by By the Watercooler (2010) and Tuki’s Grand Salon Chase (2013), establishing her as a unique voice in contemporary Indian fiction. Over the years, her work has grown more inward-looking and introspective, with an increasing engagement with memory, belonging, and ideas of home and inheritance. Her critically acclaimed novel 17, Morris Road (Hachette India, 2024) marked this significant turn in her literary career.
Alongside her fiction, Parul writes personal and cultural essays in her Substack newsletter, exploring insights gained through lived experience.
She currently writes in a study overlooking the ocean, where Retro, her golden retriever, provides rigorous canine supervision to every word.
Her forthcoming novel, The Missing Piece (Hachette, 2026), traces the journey of a curious British-Indian girl in search of her ancestral home and, in the process, the missing piece of her identity.
After studying Economics and graduating from the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, Parul worked for two decades in qualitative market research before turning to writing full-time.
Her debut novel, Bringing Up Vasu: That First Year (Westland, 2009), was followed by By the Watercooler (2010) and Tuki’s Grand Salon Chase (2013), establishing her as a unique voice in contemporary Indian fiction. Over the years, her work has grown more inward-looking and introspective, with an increasing engagement with memory, belonging, and ideas of home and inheritance. Her critically acclaimed novel 17, Morris Road (Hachette India, 2024) marked this significant turn in her literary career.
Alongside her fiction, Parul writes personal and cultural essays in her Substack newsletter, exploring insights gained through lived experience.
She currently writes in a study overlooking the ocean, where Retro, her golden retriever, provides rigorous canine supervision to every word.
Her forthcoming novel, The Missing Piece (Hachette, 2026), traces the journey of a curious British-Indian girl in search of her ancestral home and, in the process, the missing piece of her identity.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 16, 2026
“This was the small town dream- to escape it at all costs, until they did, and then spent their lives being homesick for it”
These lines from The missing piece hit home so much. As someone who was born and raised in a small town, the urge to escape its confines grew stronger every day. Until I landed in a big city, I realised that my small town life was enough and now here I am homesick for the hometown of my childhood which has changed but also not so much.
~
The missing piece is about a London born and raised Sukanya, who grew up hearing stories about Bulandwada from her father. Her parents have eloped and married, defying the societal norms, so Sukanya grows up without ever knowing her family, her extended relatives and yearns to find that missing piece of herself in her father’s stories. Sukanya finally gets a chance to visit Bulandwada she had heard so much about, she finally steps into the world she was so lovingly told about. A lively mohalla that quickly takes her into its fold, a number of chachis and chachas, the sights and smells, and the underlying hypocrisies of society which somehow coexists! Sukanya easily fits into the mohalla like a missing piece of a jigsaw!
~
Sharma’s prose is lyrical, she makes Bulandwada come alive through her writing. I myself craved to visit that place! She has written so lovingly about the sights and the smells so typical to an Indian small town. She has that keen eye and attention to detail which brought out the emotional as well as the sheer beauty of Bulandwada. Sometimes, inheritance is not about money, houses or land, sometimes it’s the homesickness that your parents unknowingly pass on to you which becomes a part of your identity.
A beautiful book to get lost into, I highly recommend this one. DON’T MISS IT!
4.5🌟
These lines from The missing piece hit home so much. As someone who was born and raised in a small town, the urge to escape its confines grew stronger every day. Until I landed in a big city, I realised that my small town life was enough and now here I am homesick for the hometown of my childhood which has changed but also not so much.
~
The missing piece is about a London born and raised Sukanya, who grew up hearing stories about Bulandwada from her father. Her parents have eloped and married, defying the societal norms, so Sukanya grows up without ever knowing her family, her extended relatives and yearns to find that missing piece of herself in her father’s stories. Sukanya finally gets a chance to visit Bulandwada she had heard so much about, she finally steps into the world she was so lovingly told about. A lively mohalla that quickly takes her into its fold, a number of chachis and chachas, the sights and smells, and the underlying hypocrisies of society which somehow coexists! Sukanya easily fits into the mohalla like a missing piece of a jigsaw!
~
Sharma’s prose is lyrical, she makes Bulandwada come alive through her writing. I myself craved to visit that place! She has written so lovingly about the sights and the smells so typical to an Indian small town. She has that keen eye and attention to detail which brought out the emotional as well as the sheer beauty of Bulandwada. Sometimes, inheritance is not about money, houses or land, sometimes it’s the homesickness that your parents unknowingly pass on to you which becomes a part of your identity.
A beautiful book to get lost into, I highly recommend this one. DON’T MISS IT!
4.5🌟
May 6, 2026
I’ve been following the literary journey of Parul Sharma ever since she wrote her first book, Bringing Up Vasu. Her latest work, The Missing Piece, is a beautifully nuanced narrative with richly developed characters that linger long after the final page.
The story moves seamlessly from London to Bulandwada in Meerut, tracing Sukanya’s deeply personal journey in search of identity—of roots, of belonging… of that elusive “missing piece.” The characters are crafted with such care that they feel almost tangible. You can vividly picture Bade Papa in the old haveli, quietly nursing his evening drink, or Bade Mummy—frail, yet firmly in control. Then there is Bibi, whose presence quietly anchors the emotional landscape of the story.
As you read, you’re gently drawn into the world of Bulandwada—into the homes of Bibi, Rajni Mousi, and even the Nawabon ki Haveli, not in its grandeur but in its lived-in, fading legacy—holding on to echoes of a past that may have once been grand, but now feels layered with time, memory, and quiet decay. The setting becomes as alive as the characters themselves.
The two male protagonists offer a compelling contrast: one, a polished and sophisticated nawab—at least on the surface—and the other, a grounded son of the soil, irreverent and driven by a desire to challenge the system. Their differences add depth and tension to the narrative.
The book carries moments of gripping intensity, where you find yourself unable to put it down, as well as tender, understated expressions of affection—a reassuring pat on the back, a gentle ruffling of hair. It captures the essence of small-town ties—the warmth and togetherness that comfort, and the rigid riti-riwaaz and maryada that can just as easily confine.
For a few days, I found myself living as Sukanya—caught in her confusion, trying to discern right from wrong. One moment, there is a sense of belonging; the next, an urge to break free.
At its heart, the book is about love and longing, and it poses a quiet yet powerful question: once you’ve moved away, can you ever truly return?
Bulandwada and its people stay with you—lingering, like a memory you’re not quite ready to let go of.
The story moves seamlessly from London to Bulandwada in Meerut, tracing Sukanya’s deeply personal journey in search of identity—of roots, of belonging… of that elusive “missing piece.” The characters are crafted with such care that they feel almost tangible. You can vividly picture Bade Papa in the old haveli, quietly nursing his evening drink, or Bade Mummy—frail, yet firmly in control. Then there is Bibi, whose presence quietly anchors the emotional landscape of the story.
As you read, you’re gently drawn into the world of Bulandwada—into the homes of Bibi, Rajni Mousi, and even the Nawabon ki Haveli, not in its grandeur but in its lived-in, fading legacy—holding on to echoes of a past that may have once been grand, but now feels layered with time, memory, and quiet decay. The setting becomes as alive as the characters themselves.
The two male protagonists offer a compelling contrast: one, a polished and sophisticated nawab—at least on the surface—and the other, a grounded son of the soil, irreverent and driven by a desire to challenge the system. Their differences add depth and tension to the narrative.
The book carries moments of gripping intensity, where you find yourself unable to put it down, as well as tender, understated expressions of affection—a reassuring pat on the back, a gentle ruffling of hair. It captures the essence of small-town ties—the warmth and togetherness that comfort, and the rigid riti-riwaaz and maryada that can just as easily confine.
For a few days, I found myself living as Sukanya—caught in her confusion, trying to discern right from wrong. One moment, there is a sense of belonging; the next, an urge to break free.
At its heart, the book is about love and longing, and it poses a quiet yet powerful question: once you’ve moved away, can you ever truly return?
Bulandwada and its people stay with you—lingering, like a memory you’re not quite ready to let go of.
May 19, 2026
I pick up contemporary Indian authors between heavier reads — there is usually an ease and familiarity to them, and barring a few authors, the storytelling tends to be simple and comforting.
But every once in a while, a book rises far beyond that and enters an elevated league of writing. I’d put Parul’s ‘The Missing Piece’ right there.
The story follows Sukanya, a London-born girl who visits her grandparents and ancestral home for the first time - the very home her parents once ran away from. The place is not entirely unfamiliar to her. She has grown up on stories of its people, traditions and tensions, and so the house already exists vividly in her imaginaton.
Her relationship with her grandparents is deeply complicated and deeply tender. They love her with the kind of fierce, unquestioning affection only grandparents seem capable of, simply because she is theirs. But Sukanya is also just as aware that they never extended the same grace to her mother. It is a story of how love within family can be so wholehearted and so conditional at the same time. And how deeply confusing it is to receive love from those very people whose values have wounded the people who raised you. There is so much compassion in the way this equation is handled.
What I really loved about the book is its how the small town quirks are never flattened to stereotypes. The people here are political and poetic, carrying Shakespeare in one hand and generational prejudice in the other. A grandmother insisting you never visit a married daughter empty-handed. Casual remarks around skin colour or caste while showering a loved one with overwhelming familial affection. A timid girl sneaking out to meet her boyfriend a week before her arranged wedding.
The novel is also very clever. There are so many reveals that land with the perfect feeling of inevitability, not the ‘I would never have guessed this’ but with a ‘But ofcourse!’
And despite all its complexity, the feeling the book leaves behind is warmth.
At its core, ‘The Missing Piece’ is,a coming-of-age story about learning that families and places can hold tenderness and prejudice simultaneously.
But every once in a while, a book rises far beyond that and enters an elevated league of writing. I’d put Parul’s ‘The Missing Piece’ right there.
The story follows Sukanya, a London-born girl who visits her grandparents and ancestral home for the first time - the very home her parents once ran away from. The place is not entirely unfamiliar to her. She has grown up on stories of its people, traditions and tensions, and so the house already exists vividly in her imaginaton.
Her relationship with her grandparents is deeply complicated and deeply tender. They love her with the kind of fierce, unquestioning affection only grandparents seem capable of, simply because she is theirs. But Sukanya is also just as aware that they never extended the same grace to her mother. It is a story of how love within family can be so wholehearted and so conditional at the same time. And how deeply confusing it is to receive love from those very people whose values have wounded the people who raised you. There is so much compassion in the way this equation is handled.
What I really loved about the book is its how the small town quirks are never flattened to stereotypes. The people here are political and poetic, carrying Shakespeare in one hand and generational prejudice in the other. A grandmother insisting you never visit a married daughter empty-handed. Casual remarks around skin colour or caste while showering a loved one with overwhelming familial affection. A timid girl sneaking out to meet her boyfriend a week before her arranged wedding.
The novel is also very clever. There are so many reveals that land with the perfect feeling of inevitability, not the ‘I would never have guessed this’ but with a ‘But ofcourse!’
And despite all its complexity, the feeling the book leaves behind is warmth.
At its core, ‘The Missing Piece’ is,a coming-of-age story about learning that families and places can hold tenderness and prejudice simultaneously.
May 23, 2026
Have you ever felt like a part of your life ended, but your heart never really moved on from it? Maybe it was a friendship that slowly faded, a place you had to leave behind, or a version of yourself that no longer exists. You grow around it, you learn to live without it, but somewhere deep inside, it still feels like there is an empty space that nothing else fully fits into. That is exactly what *The Missing Piece* by Parul Sharma felt like to me. Not just a story about family or home, but about that quiet ache of missing something you can never completely return to.
Sukanya’s journey back to her father’s hometown felt incredibly personal to read because it captures the strange feeling of belonging and not belonging at the same time. She walks into a house full of people who are connected to her by blood, stories, and history, yet she still feels like an outsider trying to piece herself together. The novel beautifully shows how love within families can exist alongside hurt, silence, and old resentment. What stayed with me most was how real everything felt. The crowded mohalla, the traditions, the warmth of home mixed with the suffocation of expectations. It reminded me of how we often romanticize the places we leave behind, only to realize that they were never perfect, just deeply ours.
Reading this book felt a lot like looking back at old memories you know you cannot relive again. It made me think about how every phase of life leaves something behind in us. Sometimes I feel that way about college too. I know I have outgrown that version of myself, and even if I went back, it would never feel the same again. But there are still pieces of me living in those classrooms, conversations, and ordinary days I did not know I would miss so much later. That is why this story hit so hard for me. It understands that life keeps moving forward, but some missing pieces quietly stay with us forever.
Sukanya’s journey back to her father’s hometown felt incredibly personal to read because it captures the strange feeling of belonging and not belonging at the same time. She walks into a house full of people who are connected to her by blood, stories, and history, yet she still feels like an outsider trying to piece herself together. The novel beautifully shows how love within families can exist alongside hurt, silence, and old resentment. What stayed with me most was how real everything felt. The crowded mohalla, the traditions, the warmth of home mixed with the suffocation of expectations. It reminded me of how we often romanticize the places we leave behind, only to realize that they were never perfect, just deeply ours.
Reading this book felt a lot like looking back at old memories you know you cannot relive again. It made me think about how every phase of life leaves something behind in us. Sometimes I feel that way about college too. I know I have outgrown that version of myself, and even if I went back, it would never feel the same again. But there are still pieces of me living in those classrooms, conversations, and ordinary days I did not know I would miss so much later. That is why this story hit so hard for me. It understands that life keeps moving forward, but some missing pieces quietly stay with us forever.
May 12, 2026
"This was the small town dream -- to escape it at all costs, until they did, and then spent their lives being homesick for it." The line in the opening pages aptly captures the theme of Parul Sharma's book. Somewhere in between the "leaving" and the "longing to return", we get to experience the multiple layers of real human relationships with all its messy emotions.
Parul Sharma's fictional Bulandwada could be any small town in India. Sukanya, born and bred in London, has grown up hearing stories of Bulandwada from her father. But unlike other NRI kids she has been deprived of the love of her maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins because her parents dared to defy traditional norms and eloped. However with her Dadi (Badi Mummy) nearing the end of her life, she wants to meet Sukanya. The girl arrives in Bulandwada and is instantly enveloped by her father's family as one of their own.
But despite accepting her, her grandfather refuses to forgive his own son. As Sukanya negotiates this emotional dilemma, she unwittingly becomes a central character in the elopement of another couple in the neighborhood. With history repeating itself, will the family stay as rigid as they did is what the story is about. Add to it a mix of interesting characters - a student neta who spouts Shakespeare is my favourite - caste and political tensions and you can't stop turning the pages.
The narrative is evocative and you begin to empathize with the characters (including the ones that are total misfits in today's modern environment). And perhaps that's the biggest learning for Sukanya...the home is not a place of perfection but a place where the heart resides despite all its imperfections.
Parul Sharma's fictional Bulandwada could be any small town in India. Sukanya, born and bred in London, has grown up hearing stories of Bulandwada from her father. But unlike other NRI kids she has been deprived of the love of her maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins because her parents dared to defy traditional norms and eloped. However with her Dadi (Badi Mummy) nearing the end of her life, she wants to meet Sukanya. The girl arrives in Bulandwada and is instantly enveloped by her father's family as one of their own.
But despite accepting her, her grandfather refuses to forgive his own son. As Sukanya negotiates this emotional dilemma, she unwittingly becomes a central character in the elopement of another couple in the neighborhood. With history repeating itself, will the family stay as rigid as they did is what the story is about. Add to it a mix of interesting characters - a student neta who spouts Shakespeare is my favourite - caste and political tensions and you can't stop turning the pages.
The narrative is evocative and you begin to empathize with the characters (including the ones that are total misfits in today's modern environment). And perhaps that's the biggest learning for Sukanya...the home is not a place of perfection but a place where the heart resides despite all its imperfections.
April 26, 2026
Star crossed lovers defying class and caste loving and living in self imposed exile, a London born young person living and dreaming two worlds, mohallah life meeting London eyes, the inner world of Meerut___in the hands of a less experienced writer this could have been a recipe for cliches and caricature. But not when Parul Sharma is narrating the story.
Parul Sharma is a writer who follows the cardinal rule that writers need to read, read, read___it is quite evident that in addition to reading she is also a writer who researches, and deep dives into the world of the words she will put on the page. She is the quintessential insider outsider to THE MISSING PIECE 's lanes and I believe this explains her gentle hand as she lovingly crafts her characters and their foibles and "complicated" lived world; all the while also keeping a stern gaze on the "darker truths" of the lanes of Meerut steering the storyline clear of becoming a self indulgent exercise.
THE MISSING PIECE strength remains the grey areas, that life is messy and uncertain but never random__that you will get by with a little help from your friends even as they are responsible for all the "it is complicated", that places are a state of mind and will never leave you and in the end poetry and good food , and shikanji on steroids are the best balm to the vagaries of life.
I am quite sure that every reader will find a little bit of their "missing piece" and answers to the questions that simmer beneath the surface; for me it was that life is but a "strange feeling of deja vu, this-has-happened-before-this-will-happen-again". I wonder what other readers will ask and find.
Parul Sharma is a writer who follows the cardinal rule that writers need to read, read, read___it is quite evident that in addition to reading she is also a writer who researches, and deep dives into the world of the words she will put on the page. She is the quintessential insider outsider to THE MISSING PIECE 's lanes and I believe this explains her gentle hand as she lovingly crafts her characters and their foibles and "complicated" lived world; all the while also keeping a stern gaze on the "darker truths" of the lanes of Meerut steering the storyline clear of becoming a self indulgent exercise.
THE MISSING PIECE strength remains the grey areas, that life is messy and uncertain but never random__that you will get by with a little help from your friends even as they are responsible for all the "it is complicated", that places are a state of mind and will never leave you and in the end poetry and good food , and shikanji on steroids are the best balm to the vagaries of life.
I am quite sure that every reader will find a little bit of their "missing piece" and answers to the questions that simmer beneath the surface; for me it was that life is but a "strange feeling of deja vu, this-has-happened-before-this-will-happen-again". I wonder what other readers will ask and find.
May 26, 2026
Should parents accept children who marry secretly without telling them? If two people belong to different castes but are in love, should they presume beforehand that their parents will not agree to the marriage? Should they talk to their parents, or should they elope?
The Missing Piece isn't just a story it's a feeling that stays with you. If parents really try to understand their children and the motives behind their decisions, and if children consider the emotional impact on their parents of eloping, communication and empathy between generations might improve. That's an important question.
This is not a novel in the conventional sense,it's a story shaped by memory, inheritance, family, and the uneasy feeling of returning to a place that is supposed to be home but no longer feels entirely familiar. The ancestral home, the mohalla, and the old family spaces are not just settings, they function almost like living memories.
Sukanya was born to parents who had eloped and left their estranged past behind. Consequently, she was raised in London, yet she always felt that something crucial was missing from her life. Growing up, she never truly knew her family background or her ancestral roots.
The most beautiful aspect of the book is how it captures this,she feels completely alone, a solitary figure adrift in a vast world that is nevertheless full of people.
This novel is not iust a book, it's a treasure of emotions that keeps pulling at you long after you finish reading. It makes you think so deeply about its themes that you find yourself asking, "What did the writer create?" If you enjoy books like this, it's absolutely for you.
The Missing Piece isn't just a story it's a feeling that stays with you. If parents really try to understand their children and the motives behind their decisions, and if children consider the emotional impact on their parents of eloping, communication and empathy between generations might improve. That's an important question.
This is not a novel in the conventional sense,it's a story shaped by memory, inheritance, family, and the uneasy feeling of returning to a place that is supposed to be home but no longer feels entirely familiar. The ancestral home, the mohalla, and the old family spaces are not just settings, they function almost like living memories.
Sukanya was born to parents who had eloped and left their estranged past behind. Consequently, she was raised in London, yet she always felt that something crucial was missing from her life. Growing up, she never truly knew her family background or her ancestral roots.
The most beautiful aspect of the book is how it captures this,she feels completely alone, a solitary figure adrift in a vast world that is nevertheless full of people.
This novel is not iust a book, it's a treasure of emotions that keeps pulling at you long after you finish reading. It makes you think so deeply about its themes that you find yourself asking, "What did the writer create?" If you enjoy books like this, it's absolutely for you.
May 27, 2026
Effective rating: 4.5 stars
Parul Sharma’s The Missing Piece feels less like a story you read and more like a place you quietly step into. Moving between London and Bulandwada in Meerut, the novel follows Sukanya’s search for identity, belonging, and that one missing piece that has always lingered at the edge of her life.
What stayed with me most was how alive the world felt. Bade Papa sitting in the old haveli with his evening drink, Bade Mummy silently commanding the house despite her frailty, and Bibi quietly holding together the emotional fabric of the story — every character feels deeply real.
The book beautifully captures the contradictions within families and small-town life. There is immense warmth, fierce love, and a sense of togetherness, but also the weight of riti-riwaaz, maryada, prejudice, and hypocrisy. Sukanya’s bond with her grandparents is especially moving because it exists alongside the painful awareness that the same people who adore her could never fully accept her mother. The story handles this emotional complexity with so much compassion and honesty.
What I really appreciated was how the novel never turns small-town characters into clichés. These are people who can quote Shakespeare while holding onto generational biases. The casual comments about caste or skin colour exist alongside overwhelming affection and care. It feels authentic, uncomfortable, tender, and human all at once.
At its heart, The Missing Piece is a warm, emotional story about roots, grief, family, and finding where you truly belong. And much like Sukanya, by the end of it, you somehow feel like you’ve found a missing piece too.
Parul Sharma’s The Missing Piece feels less like a story you read and more like a place you quietly step into. Moving between London and Bulandwada in Meerut, the novel follows Sukanya’s search for identity, belonging, and that one missing piece that has always lingered at the edge of her life.
What stayed with me most was how alive the world felt. Bade Papa sitting in the old haveli with his evening drink, Bade Mummy silently commanding the house despite her frailty, and Bibi quietly holding together the emotional fabric of the story — every character feels deeply real.
The book beautifully captures the contradictions within families and small-town life. There is immense warmth, fierce love, and a sense of togetherness, but also the weight of riti-riwaaz, maryada, prejudice, and hypocrisy. Sukanya’s bond with her grandparents is especially moving because it exists alongside the painful awareness that the same people who adore her could never fully accept her mother. The story handles this emotional complexity with so much compassion and honesty.
What I really appreciated was how the novel never turns small-town characters into clichés. These are people who can quote Shakespeare while holding onto generational biases. The casual comments about caste or skin colour exist alongside overwhelming affection and care. It feels authentic, uncomfortable, tender, and human all at once.
At its heart, The Missing Piece is a warm, emotional story about roots, grief, family, and finding where you truly belong. And much like Sukanya, by the end of it, you somehow feel like you’ve found a missing piece too.
May 18, 2026
Ever since I read "17 Morris Road" by @parul , I have been in love with her writing style. That book was such a beautiful and emotional reading experience for me that I was genuinely excited when she sent me The Missing Piece, published by Hachette India. And honestly, that excitement stayed with me throughout this book too.
The Missing Piece follows an eighteen-year-old London-born girl named Sukanya who returns to her ancestral home in Meerut, where she finds herself caught between memories, belonging, identity, and the emotional weight of family history. Through her journey, the novel explores what it truly means to call a place “home” and how deeply people can feel connected to places they barely know or have never truly experienced before.
What makes this novel so beautiful is the way it captures nostalgia and emotional displacement. Reading it sometimes feels like walking through fading memories and old emotions hidden inside places and relationships. The characters feel emotionally real and layered, and their struggles feel deeply internal rather than melodramatic.
What I love most about Parul Sharma's writing is how quietly emotional it is. She does not rely on dramatic moments to make the reader feel something. Instead, she creates emotions through atmosphere, relationships, memories, and small human moments that stay with you long after reading. Her writing carries emotional depth while still feeling simple, warm, and immersive, and the narration often feels cinematic without becoming heavy.
The Missing Piece follows an eighteen-year-old London-born girl named Sukanya who returns to her ancestral home in Meerut, where she finds herself caught between memories, belonging, identity, and the emotional weight of family history. Through her journey, the novel explores what it truly means to call a place “home” and how deeply people can feel connected to places they barely know or have never truly experienced before.
What makes this novel so beautiful is the way it captures nostalgia and emotional displacement. Reading it sometimes feels like walking through fading memories and old emotions hidden inside places and relationships. The characters feel emotionally real and layered, and their struggles feel deeply internal rather than melodramatic.
What I love most about Parul Sharma's writing is how quietly emotional it is. She does not rely on dramatic moments to make the reader feel something. Instead, she creates emotions through atmosphere, relationships, memories, and small human moments that stay with you long after reading. Her writing carries emotional depth while still feeling simple, warm, and immersive, and the narration often feels cinematic without becoming heavy.
April 26, 2026
Just finished reading Parul Sharma’s excellent 'The Missing Piece'. Loved the way she has brought to life the fictional but entirely believable neighbourhood of Bulandwada in Meerut. She does this by hitching the reader to the protagonist Sukanya, and taking them on a mission to uncover the place and the lives that inhabit it. She mines her lived experience of growing up in such a neighbourhood as well as a forensic sense of observation to craft layers of detail that do more than transport you to the place. They create an overpowering feeling of Anemoia, a deeply felt nostalgia for something one has never experienced. I was constantly reminded of a similar journey that I recently took to a family home that I had never lived in, but which had lived in my consciousness for three decades.
I found myself caring deeply about the characters and wishing for conflicts to resolve. I was grateful, however, that Sharma rejects the consolation of neat endings, instead having the courage to show us life as it is: messy, incomplete, disappointing, but joyful all the same.
I have previously enjoyed Sharma’s '17, Morris Road'. In some ways, this is also a book about returning to a much loved home, but in many ways it is completely different. In '17, Morris Road', the eponymous old house dominates and encourages me to visit it. 'The Missing Piece' is much more about the people who continue to matter, even if we leave them behind geographically.
Essential reading.
I found myself caring deeply about the characters and wishing for conflicts to resolve. I was grateful, however, that Sharma rejects the consolation of neat endings, instead having the courage to show us life as it is: messy, incomplete, disappointing, but joyful all the same.
I have previously enjoyed Sharma’s '17, Morris Road'. In some ways, this is also a book about returning to a much loved home, but in many ways it is completely different. In '17, Morris Road', the eponymous old house dominates and encourages me to visit it. 'The Missing Piece' is much more about the people who continue to matter, even if we leave them behind geographically.
Essential reading.
May 4, 2026
Have you ever read a book and felt a deep sense of nostalgia?
This one did exactly that for me.
It brought back a flood of memories of my hometown, my grandparents and those carefree, bittersweet days of childhood. This is truly a book that lets you time travel.
The story follows 18 year old Sukanya, raised in London. Her parents had eloped, leaving behind an estranged past. Growing up on her father’s stories about Bulandwada, she feels a sense of incompleteness, as if a part of her identity is waiting for her there. When Sukanya finally gets the chance to visit her father’s hometown, she steps into a world she had only imagined: a lively mohalla that embraces her, doting grandparents and relatives, rich, spicy Indian food and the uncomfortable realities of ingrained misogyny and hypocrisy. In the overall chaos of things, Sukanya seamlessly fits in like a missing piece of a puzzle.
It is a warm narrative that weaves together nostalgia, belonging, grief and the unfairness of life. The author’s almost poetic writing style intensifies every emotion, making the story stay with you long after you finish reading it.
Also it would be unfair if I did not judge this book by its cover. The cover page of the book is not just vivid and beautiful, but it also conveys the story on its own.
I really enjoyed reading this heartfelt story.
This one did exactly that for me.
It brought back a flood of memories of my hometown, my grandparents and those carefree, bittersweet days of childhood. This is truly a book that lets you time travel.
The story follows 18 year old Sukanya, raised in London. Her parents had eloped, leaving behind an estranged past. Growing up on her father’s stories about Bulandwada, she feels a sense of incompleteness, as if a part of her identity is waiting for her there. When Sukanya finally gets the chance to visit her father’s hometown, she steps into a world she had only imagined: a lively mohalla that embraces her, doting grandparents and relatives, rich, spicy Indian food and the uncomfortable realities of ingrained misogyny and hypocrisy. In the overall chaos of things, Sukanya seamlessly fits in like a missing piece of a puzzle.
It is a warm narrative that weaves together nostalgia, belonging, grief and the unfairness of life. The author’s almost poetic writing style intensifies every emotion, making the story stay with you long after you finish reading it.
Also it would be unfair if I did not judge this book by its cover. The cover page of the book is not just vivid and beautiful, but it also conveys the story on its own.
I really enjoyed reading this heartfelt story.
May 17, 2026
An Extraordinary work of fiction
I have been an avid fan of Parul ever since she wrote her first book Bringing up Vasu. This is her fifth book. She has risen in stature and style with every new book. The Missing piece is so enjoyable to read.
The details given about rural life in UP are fascinating. The goonda raj, ultra conservative social values, strangle hold of caste system in the villages have been brought out so graphically through the eyes of an eighteen year old girl brought up in Uk. The cultural shock she feels is transmitted to those who have not been exposed to such atmosphere. The scenes have been vividly dancing before my eyes many days after I had finished the book. Difficult to believe that this is a work of fiction, as this is bordering reality. It is a serious book though quite entertaining
Reading is very easy as it is sprinkled with subtle humour.
Looking forward to her future books.
Rukmani
I have been an avid fan of Parul ever since she wrote her first book Bringing up Vasu. This is her fifth book. She has risen in stature and style with every new book. The Missing piece is so enjoyable to read.
The details given about rural life in UP are fascinating. The goonda raj, ultra conservative social values, strangle hold of caste system in the villages have been brought out so graphically through the eyes of an eighteen year old girl brought up in Uk. The cultural shock she feels is transmitted to those who have not been exposed to such atmosphere. The scenes have been vividly dancing before my eyes many days after I had finished the book. Difficult to believe that this is a work of fiction, as this is bordering reality. It is a serious book though quite entertaining
Reading is very easy as it is sprinkled with subtle humour.
Looking forward to her future books.
Rukmani
April 26, 2026
A layered, evocative novel about belonging, inheritance, and the uneasy pull of home.
Parul Sharma’s The Missing Piece follows Sukanya, a London-raised young woman drawn back to her ancestral mohalla in Bulandwada. What begins as a journey toward discovering the role her ancestral past has played in shaping her identity gradually unfolds into something more complex. She encounters the social hierarchies and inherent contradictions that shape the place she longs to belong to.
Sharma has a keen eye for detail which brings alive both the physicality as well the emotion of places she writes about.
While the book is about inheritance, I felt that at its core, it was about familial love and how blood is thicker than water.
An overall a heart warming, wonderful read which I was able to finish in one sitting.
Highly recommended.
Parul Sharma’s The Missing Piece follows Sukanya, a London-raised young woman drawn back to her ancestral mohalla in Bulandwada. What begins as a journey toward discovering the role her ancestral past has played in shaping her identity gradually unfolds into something more complex. She encounters the social hierarchies and inherent contradictions that shape the place she longs to belong to.
Sharma has a keen eye for detail which brings alive both the physicality as well the emotion of places she writes about.
While the book is about inheritance, I felt that at its core, it was about familial love and how blood is thicker than water.
An overall a heart warming, wonderful read which I was able to finish in one sitting.
Highly recommended.
Read
May 22, 2026This is a story of an 18-year-old who comes to India to understand her origins. Moving at a brisk pace through episodic chapters, the tale introduces a wide array of well-sketched characters.
I read it as a clear-eyed homage to Meerut and to a certain way of life that has evolved into a complicated tapestry over the centuries. You might love this way of life or hate certain aspects of it, but indifference is impossible as this is the story of a rambunctious, in-your-face, big-emotion mohalla.
I especially liked the nuanced sketch of the lead character, which captures the intense but transitory emotions of a young adult who is here to find the missing piece of her life and step over the threshold of adulthood.
I read it as a clear-eyed homage to Meerut and to a certain way of life that has evolved into a complicated tapestry over the centuries. You might love this way of life or hate certain aspects of it, but indifference is impossible as this is the story of a rambunctious, in-your-face, big-emotion mohalla.
I especially liked the nuanced sketch of the lead character, which captures the intense but transitory emotions of a young adult who is here to find the missing piece of her life and step over the threshold of adulthood.
April 30, 2026
A compelling read that says so much about contemporary life in India. A young couple fall in love and secretly marry, and leave their homes and families, apparently forever. It is only when Shiladitya's mother is seriously ill, that his daughter Sukanya is invited to visit her grandparental home, one that she has heard numerous stories about from her father. Parul Sharma writes beautifully about how her London born teenage protagonist negotiates a landscape that is both familiar and unfamiliar. She faces a multitude of relationships, local politics, mysterious characters, a smidgeon of romance, and much else. A beautiful, richly fulfilling read.
April 27, 2026
I really enjoyed reading the Missing Piece. What a lovely gem.
The author has spun up a world of small town India with such dexterity that you feel like you're right there. She describes the atmosphere so vividly that it takes you back to your own childhood wherever that is because the small town shenanigans are universal.
The characters ring true whether it is the great grandma that Sukanya loves but also sees for the bigot that she is or the doting grandfather that is holding on to a grudge 20 years later. All things I could relate to as who doesn't have contradictory characters that you love but cannot always like in your family?
Her storytelling is multi layered and so carefully captures the contradictions. She manages to keep the reader engaged by revealing just enough to pique your curiosity but avoid making you feel impatient. Will Sukanya feel disillusioned? Will she fall in love? And, some twists that I totally didn't anticipate.
Highly recommended.
The author has spun up a world of small town India with such dexterity that you feel like you're right there. She describes the atmosphere so vividly that it takes you back to your own childhood wherever that is because the small town shenanigans are universal.
The characters ring true whether it is the great grandma that Sukanya loves but also sees for the bigot that she is or the doting grandfather that is holding on to a grudge 20 years later. All things I could relate to as who doesn't have contradictory characters that you love but cannot always like in your family?
Her storytelling is multi layered and so carefully captures the contradictions. She manages to keep the reader engaged by revealing just enough to pique your curiosity but avoid making you feel impatient. Will Sukanya feel disillusioned? Will she fall in love? And, some twists that I totally didn't anticipate.
Highly recommended.
April 28, 2026
Parul Sharma has a way of making you live the story alongside the protagonist, by helping you visualize the scenery - sights and smells! I found this book an easy read, clearly well researched and with an interesting story line that kept me engaged right till the end. Absolutely recommend this book!
May 15, 2026
When a writer manages to articulate your feelings, give words to your emotions, all you want to do, is to keep reading and discovering yourself through that book. The Missing piece conjures those feelings for me as a person longing for my home.
The setting, its mohalla, the characters were so close to home for me that I did not want Sukanya to leave.
The setting, its mohalla, the characters were so close to home for me that I did not want Sukanya to leave.
May 29, 2026
The Missing Piece by Parul Sharma felt less like reading a book and more like stepping into someone’s memories. Sukanya’s journey back to her ancestral home is emotional, nostalgic, and deeply atmospheric. I absolutely loved the old mohalla vibes, complicated family dynamics, and the soft emotional attachment woven into the story. The writing feels cinematic, comforting, and quietly heartbreaking at the same time. A beautiful literary fiction novel about belonging, roots, family, and finding the missing pieces within ourselves. 🤍
⭐ 4.2/5
⭐ 4.2/5
April 27, 2026
Lovely book, an easy read. Makes me deeply nostalgic as an Indian living outside India for most of my adult life.
The characters are so well crafted and the places described so well that one can visualise being there and almost taste what’s being offered!
The characters are so well crafted and the places described so well that one can visualise being there and almost taste what’s being offered!
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