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Someone You Love Is Gone
Grief is a creature of many faces as Simran discovers when her mother, the lynchpin of her family, dies. Faced with the disintegration of her marriage and her estrangement from her own daughter, she struggles to make sense of her world and how things have come to be. With her mother’s death, Simran is haunted by memories and questions for which she has no answers. As the life she has carefully constructed begins to unravel around her, she is forced to confront one of her most painful memories—her parents sending her younger brother away when they were children. As the past comes flooding back, she wonders what could compel her parents to turn their backs on their only son. Was it his strange obsession with collecting poetry on scraps of paper? Or the fact that he talked about having memories that couldn’t possibly be his? Could he be the reincarnation of her long-dead uncle? Even her mother, who had always been very protective of her son, agreed with her husband to send him away; a decision that would have lasting consequences. Now with her mother gone, Simran must face up to these disturbing memories, and perhaps finally put her ghosts to rest.
256 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2017
51 people are currently reading
1855 people want to read
About the author
Gurjinder Basran
9 books107 followersGurjinder Basran’s debut novel, Everything Was Good-bye, was the winner of Mother Tongue Publishing's “Search for the Great BC Novel Contest” in 2010 and was awarded the 2011 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Gurjinder lives in British Columbia, Canada with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
December 13, 2017
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
An honest and articulately crafted exploration of grief, disappointment, and the search for redemption.
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Many thanks to Harper for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
An honest and articulately crafted exploration of grief, disappointment, and the search for redemption.
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Many thanks to Harper for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2017
3.5 stars
When a dear friend of mine saw that I was reading this book, she sent me a note , "Sounds depressing. Do you really need to read this book?" I know she was looking out for me since the main character loses her mother and it has been less than a year since my mother died. I went ahead and read it anyway, maybe wanting to feel and share the grief even if it was with a character in a book. While the story is depressing in many ways, I wasn't depressed after reading it. If anything, I felt fortunate because all of memories that have become part of my grieving are good ones focusing on the happy times and remembering what a good woman my mother was. It's not the same for Simran. She is grieving her mother's death and feels isolated from her husband, her daughter and her siblings. As the story develops, it becomes evident that Simran is also grieving over her own life, over the changes in her relationships, over things that happened in the past. So she tries to come to terms with her failing marriage, that the closeness with her daughter seems to have diminished. The biggest thing that she has to cope with after her mother's death, is trying to understand why her parents sent her younger brother away. We come to know through flashbacks that Diwa suffered physical and mental issues and her father just couldn't accept it.
Her journey through grief is complex as the loss of her mother accentuates the other losses she feels, causing her to reflect on the people who are gone from her life in some way. I can't say that I connected with her as deeply as I thought I would. However, there are some poignant moments that touched me, especially when she and her siblings return to India, their mother's birthplace to scatter her ashes. All in in all, it's a well written and the biggest take away for me is people grieve in different ways.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Harper Perennial through Edelweiss.
August 12, 2017
Someone You Love is Gone by Gurjinder Basran is a beautiful novel centered around grief.
Picking this book up, after losing my own Father years ago, was kind of like therapy. I was able to see someone else facing the exact thing I had (keep in mind a different gendered parent) and having a similar response to me. Gurjinder Basran does a fantastic job of showing how grief affects a person.
The small losses of temper, without meaning to was a big part of mine and my Mother's grief. Seeing this happen was truly incredible - our main character Simran does not purposely yell at her daughter or her husband, it just happens. The emotions that go through someone when experiencing grief is very expressive in this book - and it shows how talented this author is.
I'd hate to say this book is like a "slice of life" novel, but it is - but a slice of grief and the life that comes after. So many sayings that you don't think about - like how you just get used to grief and it doesn't get better - are displayed in this story. Before someone dies, you say that but don't realize how true those sayings really are. You don't realize how haunting it is to be here and that person who's in your memories and clothes are still in their closets are just not there - they don't exist anymore. This beautiful novel shows all of this, and it almost made me cry thinking about how honest this book is compared to my own grief.
I relate a lot of Sim, and I think this is why the book speaks to me so much.
Overall, this book is truly beautiful. I could go on and spoil everything, but I would rather just state my opinion to finish it off.
This book shows the gradual change in grief - immediately losing a parent, dealing with the emotions after, dealing with relationships during grief, trying to pick what's best and how to grieve, and the finale of finally accepting it.
This book should be read by those experiencing or who have experienced grief to understand. This was far better than any therapist or book I was forced to read during my grief - those self help books are rarely helpful, let's be honest.
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Picking this book up, after losing my own Father years ago, was kind of like therapy. I was able to see someone else facing the exact thing I had (keep in mind a different gendered parent) and having a similar response to me. Gurjinder Basran does a fantastic job of showing how grief affects a person.
The small losses of temper, without meaning to was a big part of mine and my Mother's grief. Seeing this happen was truly incredible - our main character Simran does not purposely yell at her daughter or her husband, it just happens. The emotions that go through someone when experiencing grief is very expressive in this book - and it shows how talented this author is.
I'd hate to say this book is like a "slice of life" novel, but it is - but a slice of grief and the life that comes after. So many sayings that you don't think about - like how you just get used to grief and it doesn't get better - are displayed in this story. Before someone dies, you say that but don't realize how true those sayings really are. You don't realize how haunting it is to be here and that person who's in your memories and clothes are still in their closets are just not there - they don't exist anymore. This beautiful novel shows all of this, and it almost made me cry thinking about how honest this book is compared to my own grief.
I relate a lot of Sim, and I think this is why the book speaks to me so much.
Overall, this book is truly beautiful. I could go on and spoil everything, but I would rather just state my opinion to finish it off.
This book shows the gradual change in grief - immediately losing a parent, dealing with the emotions after, dealing with relationships during grief, trying to pick what's best and how to grieve, and the finale of finally accepting it.
This book should be read by those experiencing or who have experienced grief to understand. This was far better than any therapist or book I was forced to read during my grief - those self help books are rarely helpful, let's be honest.
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
September 29, 2017
More to come.
May 8, 2017
I loved this short, profound book about grieving and the bond of family. Simran is a wife and mother who has recently lost her mother. While she’s struggling with her grief, she’s also struggling to make sense of her family’s past and her present life. The author fluidly flows between several story and time lines. There’s the story of a young Amrita, Simran’s mother, and Amrita’s tragic love for Pyara. There’s the story of a young Simran and her brother Diwa and sister Jyoti and the mystery of why young Diwa is sent to live with his Aunt Bibi Jeet. And there’s the present-day story of Simran and her disillusionment with her marriage to Raj.
This book was compared to the work of Jhumpa Lahiri, which is what brought it to my attention as I’m a huge fan of Lahiri’s books. Jhumpa Lahiri is a Pulitzer Prize winner so that’s quite a comparison to make. I feel the comparison is a just one. I’m confused as to why the publisher is only releasing a paperback and Kindle edition of this magnificent book. I think it deserves better and I hope they decide to also release it in hardcover. The author is very talented and has written a book that takes an in-depth look into the heart and soul of a family, their loves, desires and fears and deep bond with each other. She also touches on reincarnation and the thin line between life and death.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It is due to be released in November, 2017. I now will have to get my hands on the author’s first book, “Everything Was Good-Bye”.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway and am under no obligation to write a review.
This book was compared to the work of Jhumpa Lahiri, which is what brought it to my attention as I’m a huge fan of Lahiri’s books. Jhumpa Lahiri is a Pulitzer Prize winner so that’s quite a comparison to make. I feel the comparison is a just one. I’m confused as to why the publisher is only releasing a paperback and Kindle edition of this magnificent book. I think it deserves better and I hope they decide to also release it in hardcover. The author is very talented and has written a book that takes an in-depth look into the heart and soul of a family, their loves, desires and fears and deep bond with each other. She also touches on reincarnation and the thin line between life and death.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It is due to be released in November, 2017. I now will have to get my hands on the author’s first book, “Everything Was Good-Bye”.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway and am under no obligation to write a review.
August 10, 2017
I am always looking to discover Canadian novelists to add to my repertoire, so when I discovered Gurjinder Basran and found out her newest novel, Someone You Love Is Gone, was publishing this month, I added it to the top of my TBR pile.
Initially, I was finding this story downright depressing. Simran, the lead character and whose narrative voice is most heard throughout the story, has just lost her mother and is still grieving over the disintegration of her marriage and the loss of her child. As her life is unraveling, she begins to question all sorts of incidents in her child, especially those involving her younger brother, and the past comes flooding back.
Told through alternating time periods, the present (dealing with her mother’s funeral, family relationships and her own grief) and remembering the past (her brother being sent away, talk of arranged marriage and trying to balance a patriarchal culture with what teenaged Simran wants) the author is able to delve into and dissect so many issues within very few pages. Someone You Love Is Gone packed a serious punch!
Grief is obviously explored throughout the pages, but, in the end, this story became an investigation into all sorts of loss: loss of one’s self, loss of another, loss of a dream, loss of a path.
It was very diverse; I loved that the characters were Indian and various forms of the Indian culture and customs was discussed throughout the pages.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult contemporary fiction; it was dynamic, well written and will absolutely stay with you long after you have turned the final page.
Initially, I was finding this story downright depressing. Simran, the lead character and whose narrative voice is most heard throughout the story, has just lost her mother and is still grieving over the disintegration of her marriage and the loss of her child. As her life is unraveling, she begins to question all sorts of incidents in her child, especially those involving her younger brother, and the past comes flooding back.
Told through alternating time periods, the present (dealing with her mother’s funeral, family relationships and her own grief) and remembering the past (her brother being sent away, talk of arranged marriage and trying to balance a patriarchal culture with what teenaged Simran wants) the author is able to delve into and dissect so many issues within very few pages. Someone You Love Is Gone packed a serious punch!
Grief is obviously explored throughout the pages, but, in the end, this story became an investigation into all sorts of loss: loss of one’s self, loss of another, loss of a dream, loss of a path.
It was very diverse; I loved that the characters were Indian and various forms of the Indian culture and customs was discussed throughout the pages.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult contemporary fiction; it was dynamic, well written and will absolutely stay with you long after you have turned the final page.
September 20, 2017
This short little book surprised me. I knew right from the first few pages that I was reading something special. The language is lyrical and gorgeous. It's the kind of writing that makes you reread phrases over and over and even to write them down so you can come back to them and ponder them some more. The story seems quite straight forward, when the matriarch of a Canadian Sikh family, Amrita, dies her children come together to deal with the funeral and to spread her ashes. This is where things get complicated. The story alternates between the past with Amrita as a young girl in India, the more recent past with Amrita raising the three siblings, and the present after Amrita's death in which Simran the eldest child is our narrator. Amrita's youth is an especially tragic story and as it is revealed piece by piece we start to understand the family dynamic and dysfunction. There's a bit of a supernatural element with a (maybe) ghost and a very awkward instance of reincarnation. These are smaller elements of the story and the main focus is on grief in all its forms. It is quite a sad story overall but it's not in any way depressing. Even if you think that the plot doesn't sound like your cup of tea I recommend giving it a try anyway just for the incredible writing. You might be surprised by this book too!
October 15, 2017
A beautifully written book where the mother-daughter relationship is central, but where a light is shone on other relationships: that of wife-husband, sister-brother, old lovers.
This book is an exploration of memory, a meditation on death and grief, and our attitude toward all those things. "No one says dead" writes Basran. I find it refreshing to see a novel where ideas about death and its lasting effect on a surviving individual are brought into focus. Someone you love is gone. Here we see that the 'someone you love' is not necessarily singular. And what exactly is 'gone?'
To go into the plot of this novel would be to spoil the effect of its unfolding heart, which reveals itself one segment at a time, like the opening petals of a flower.
This book is an exploration of memory, a meditation on death and grief, and our attitude toward all those things. "No one says dead" writes Basran. I find it refreshing to see a novel where ideas about death and its lasting effect on a surviving individual are brought into focus. Someone you love is gone. Here we see that the 'someone you love' is not necessarily singular. And what exactly is 'gone?'
To go into the plot of this novel would be to spoil the effect of its unfolding heart, which reveals itself one segment at a time, like the opening petals of a flower.
March 26, 2021
Just Wow. I happened upon this in the clearance section at Indigo a couple of weeks ago. How have I not heard of this book or this amazing Canadian Author?? The story is of Simran, her grief over losing her Mother, about not being able to move on and the affects it has on the rest of her life. Told in Before, Then and Now sequences including her Mothers story. Her writing just pulled me in.
One of my favorites this year.
"Life gives you so many reasons to not believe in anything, so many reasons to give in. I think it's the surrendering to that helplessness that would be easy." "Not knowing or believing in God isn't helplessness." I pull my hand away from hers. "No, you're right, it's not. It's loneliness."
"No one talks about it, no one gives it a name or a shape, and so I talk around it, circle it, catalogue its parts, its symptoms and signs. I know it's coming but I don't know what that will mean after it arrives, or after it occurs. I don't even know if death is or if death does. Is it a noun or a verb or both? But soon I will learn that death is like a murder of crows. It darkens the sky and weighs it down. It fills my ears with a shrill cawing, a pulse and thrumming of wings, and it pushes and pulls me along the edge of the sky, leaving me teetering on the brink of this life and next. And then. months later, when the business of dying is over and all that must be read, divided, sold and settled is done, it leaves me in the silence and emptiness of something never being over."
One of my favorites this year.
"Life gives you so many reasons to not believe in anything, so many reasons to give in. I think it's the surrendering to that helplessness that would be easy." "Not knowing or believing in God isn't helplessness." I pull my hand away from hers. "No, you're right, it's not. It's loneliness."
"No one talks about it, no one gives it a name or a shape, and so I talk around it, circle it, catalogue its parts, its symptoms and signs. I know it's coming but I don't know what that will mean after it arrives, or after it occurs. I don't even know if death is or if death does. Is it a noun or a verb or both? But soon I will learn that death is like a murder of crows. It darkens the sky and weighs it down. It fills my ears with a shrill cawing, a pulse and thrumming of wings, and it pushes and pulls me along the edge of the sky, leaving me teetering on the brink of this life and next. And then. months later, when the business of dying is over and all that must be read, divided, sold and settled is done, it leaves me in the silence and emptiness of something never being over."
June 9, 2017
Simran's life is full of turmoil. Her marriage is on the rocks, she has a distant relationship with her daughter and sister, and her long-estranged brother has returned. After the death of Simran's mother, she is faced with looking into the past and finally coming to terms with it, in order to move on and have some shot at a better future.
At first glance, the book appears to be about Simran coping with her mother's death but at the heart it is really about relationships. Simran's relationships with her husband, daughter, siblings, parents, etc. are all fully explored in this book as well as the relationships of Simran's mother. While Simran and her siblings were raised in Canada, their parents grew up in India and that adds to their difficulties understanding one another.
While family relationships might not be a brand new topic to explore in fiction, this book manages to feel fresh and not quite like anything I have read before. The characters and their feelings and motivations really come to life. The book is quite touching at times and I would definitely be interested in reading future novels by the author.
I received a free ARC of this book and that is my honest review.
At first glance, the book appears to be about Simran coping with her mother's death but at the heart it is really about relationships. Simran's relationships with her husband, daughter, siblings, parents, etc. are all fully explored in this book as well as the relationships of Simran's mother. While Simran and her siblings were raised in Canada, their parents grew up in India and that adds to their difficulties understanding one another.
While family relationships might not be a brand new topic to explore in fiction, this book manages to feel fresh and not quite like anything I have read before. The characters and their feelings and motivations really come to life. The book is quite touching at times and I would definitely be interested in reading future novels by the author.
I received a free ARC of this book and that is my honest review.
August 20, 2017
"Someone you love is gone" is a tragic yet beautiful examination of love lost, unending grief and strength found in family when life is at its most difficult. Gurjinder Basran's novels looks at two generations of family who face their own tragedies respectively; one is the death of a mother, and the other is memories of a past lover and a relationship that never came to fruition due to tragic circumstances. Simran, the eldest daughter, of the Sandhu family is lost and is in the deep trenches of grief as she has a difficult time accepting her mother's death while also examining her relationship with her brother and why he had to leave the family many hears ago. To add, her relationship with her husband and daughter is extremely distant. Simultaneously. we get a look of Simran's mother, Amrita, when she discovers love for the first time but then looses it as soon as she realizes it. She is forced to start a life that she has no control over and this "new start" has long lasting implications. This books shows that secrets are never secrets and are eventually unearthed. Basran shows the power of family and that they are the people the best understand you even if that is not what you want.
September 19, 2017
This book looks at grief in a multitude of ways. Not only does it focus on the actual moment of loss, it also depicts the stages and transitions one makes in the days that follow. It is a long and painful journey, and the reader feels every emotion that the main character does. As someone who has been fortunate enough to not have experienced the loss of a loved one, this was an eye-opening journey. There are so many nuances, so many elements to this state of being that I would never have thought possible. And the author allows each one to manifest itself and be understood by the reader. I really liked that the author flitted back in time and even delved into Simran's mother's past. This novel showed me the different ways people deal with grief, and how some accept and move on while others struggle to do so. This story is powerful even though it has a quiet voice, as it makes the reader aware of the strength it takes to carry grief in your heart and yet, continue to live life. I'm so glad that I had the chance to review this ARC and would recommend this book to anyone looking for a thought-provoking story.
I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
August 10, 2017
I won this in a giveaway (thank you Goodreads!) and I honestly wasn't expecting to love it. I'm used to reading Y/A books and this seemed a little too grown up for me. But I wanted t give it a fair chance and decided to read the first three chapters and if i didn't like it I'd give it to my mom. Surprisingly for me, I loved it! It was only a couple hundred pages so I was able to read it fairly quickly, and when it ended I wanted more. I was worried it would be difficult to understand, but the writing was so simplistic and poetic. I often found myself flagging pages with quotes that I loved. Another reason I loved this book is because it gave me a glimpse into another culture as some of the story was set in India. It was also awesome to be reading a book written by a Canadian author, set in Canada.
Overall, I really recommend this for anybody. Especially if you're someone who likes contemporary dramas or even if you're looking to read something a little more adult than the typical Y/A drama.
I hope all of that made sense. I loved this book and can't wait to read more from Gurjinder Basran!
Overall, I really recommend this for anybody. Especially if you're someone who likes contemporary dramas or even if you're looking to read something a little more adult than the typical Y/A drama.
I hope all of that made sense. I loved this book and can't wait to read more from Gurjinder Basran!
December 24, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from PenguinRandomHouse Canada for an honest review. Overall a very good book. This book covers more than one generation of a family and details their lives in India and Canada. Simran is dealing with the death of her mother and many unresolved issues with her siblings, husband, and daughter. Her grief is overwhelming her and causes her to question many events in her life and in the lives of her parents. The book goes back and forth in time and I thought this was done very well. I really enjoyed hearing more about the Indian culture and how life was in India for Simran’s parents before immigrating to Canada. There are many difficult events and decisions that take place in the lives of Simran and her mother and these are hard for Simran to reconcile. Ultimately Simran and her siblings go back to India to spread their mothes’s ashes and this really brings the story full circle. I enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. I would definitely read more from this author.
September 10, 2017
Someone You Love is Gone by Gurjinder Basran is a highly emotional novel that delves deep into the psychology of grief, how it affects individuals, and how it affects those around them. The stages of grief are also explored, from shock to disbelief to anger and beyond.
Flipping back and forth between past and present, Simran not only struggles to accept the loss of her mother, but also the buried secrets of her family's past. The book is an easy read and it definitely tugs on the heartstrings. There are several subplots that flip between different storylines and decades; a tragic love and romance, the love for siblings, and the disintegration of a marriage in addition to the loss of a beloved parent. There is also an exploration of reincarnation which I found fascinating.
A beautifully written story about love, loss, and grief in all its many aspects and relationships. Very highly recommend. This book is destined to be a wonderful winner!
Flipping back and forth between past and present, Simran not only struggles to accept the loss of her mother, but also the buried secrets of her family's past. The book is an easy read and it definitely tugs on the heartstrings. There are several subplots that flip between different storylines and decades; a tragic love and romance, the love for siblings, and the disintegration of a marriage in addition to the loss of a beloved parent. There is also an exploration of reincarnation which I found fascinating.
A beautifully written story about love, loss, and grief in all its many aspects and relationships. Very highly recommend. This book is destined to be a wonderful winner!
November 20, 2017
After the death of her mother, Simran has to face not only the grief resulting from her death, but also that from her disintegrating marriage, her estrangement from her daughter, and the long-ago departure of her younger brother. As she struggles to understand why her parents sent her brother away at the age of 6, she faces her past and tries to make sense of her memories in order to move on with her life.
This was a good story, rather haunting and told with beautiful prose. My only small complaint was with the slight supernatural element that popped up in the form of the occasional appearances of her mother’s ghost, and the reincarnation suspicions. Not that I totally discount those phenomenon, but they just gave the story a bit of a mystical feel that the story didn’t really need… it would have been good without them.
Beautiful cover!
This was a good story, rather haunting and told with beautiful prose. My only small complaint was with the slight supernatural element that popped up in the form of the occasional appearances of her mother’s ghost, and the reincarnation suspicions. Not that I totally discount those phenomenon, but they just gave the story a bit of a mystical feel that the story didn’t really need… it would have been good without them.
Beautiful cover!
October 19, 2017
Someone You Love is Gone is a book about grief and family. While not a fast paced book, it is beautifully written and alternates between the story of a mother and a daughter telling each point of view. The book expresses very well the gamut of emotions that you feel when losing a loved one. The author has many passages throughout the story line that address these feelings.
I felt that the book also presented an interesting cultural point of view. There are glimpses into the lives of these individuals and their beliefs. If you have lost someone, you will understand this book and the story. If you have not been through a grieving process, it may be difficult to relate. Overall a good read!
I felt that the book also presented an interesting cultural point of view. There are glimpses into the lives of these individuals and their beliefs. If you have lost someone, you will understand this book and the story. If you have not been through a grieving process, it may be difficult to relate. Overall a good read!
September 20, 2017
In her sophomore novel, Gurjinder Basran pens a gorgeous and melancholy elegy to a mother's passing. Simran and her siblings grapple with the monumental tasks of saying goodbye to their mother, witnessing her transition, and dealing with her affairs.
Told through different time periods of their mother's life, from her youth in India, to the disastrous circumstances of her marriage, to the son her husband can't love, to the final days of her life, this is an achingly sad story. Yet, Basran is a genius at letting her characters move through their grief and incorporate their loss; their sense of collision and fragility is coupled with openness, hope and love. Truly beautiful.
Told through different time periods of their mother's life, from her youth in India, to the disastrous circumstances of her marriage, to the son her husband can't love, to the final days of her life, this is an achingly sad story. Yet, Basran is a genius at letting her characters move through their grief and incorporate their loss; their sense of collision and fragility is coupled with openness, hope and love. Truly beautiful.
July 30, 2017
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways and have chosen to give my honest opinion about it.
Strangely poetic, I admired the plot-development and the twists, I found this book quite well to enjoy. However, it was a bit too dark and mellow for me, a bit different from what I usually read. Still, a decent read, but sometimes it felt like it didn't pick up when it needed to.
Strangely poetic, I admired the plot-development and the twists, I found this book quite well to enjoy. However, it was a bit too dark and mellow for me, a bit different from what I usually read. Still, a decent read, but sometimes it felt like it didn't pick up when it needed to.
August 5, 2017
Someone You Love is Gone is a poignant story about how a family deals with death and secrets from the past. The author writes both in Now and Then to weave a complex story of a family from India who struggles to come to terms with events from the past. It is a thought provoking book that asks the question "Do you believe in God" or "Do you believe in reincarnation?" An interesting read!
October 20, 2017
A beautifully written, poignant story of a woman grieving the loss of her mother and coming to terms with her family's past. She faces the reality of her own relationships with her daughter and husband. It is rich with culture, but a young woman wants to break from tradition and make her own choices.
October 31, 2017
A beautifully written story about love, death, grieving, loss, and relationships. It also gives you a glimpse into another culture and their beliefs. Simran's mother passes away and finds herself wondering about her life with her husband, her daughter and her siblings. She also has many questions about her family and decides to find the answers.
October 12, 2017
This title really threw me. I was expecting a self help book on coping with grief. What I got was a highly enjoyable novel not only on dealing with grief but the possibility of reincarnation and how a family coped with it. This was a fast moving novel and a fun read.
June 13, 2017
Such an incredibly moving book! Never before can I recall a novel that personified its title as beautifully! Her work captures loss in all its myriad of presentations, with style and grace.
November 5, 2017
It's lyrical, heartbreaking and definitely gives me strength to be stronger in facing calamity.
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November 27, 2017Beautiful. Sad. Thoughtful. Hopeful.
April 24, 2019
A book I just sped through!
June 8, 2021
Not a shocker here but this book was really, really sad, considering it was about grief. I found the whole family disconnected, damaged and generally scarred. Every sibling in the family seemed dysfunctional, almost like it was generational. I wasn’t convinced by the end of the book that the family had learned any lessons by the grief they carried…. It kind of left it open ended.
Some beautiful quotes throughout…. This was my favourite.
“Not knowing or believing in God isn’t helplessness…. No, you’re right, it’s not. It’s loneliness.”
Some beautiful quotes throughout…. This was my favourite.
“Not knowing or believing in God isn’t helplessness…. No, you’re right, it’s not. It’s loneliness.”
October 9, 2017
This successor to Basran's debut novel, "Everything was good-bye" is a well-written, profound novel. "Someone you love," as told by protagonist, Simran is a novel spanning four generations of one family. The family who lived in India and is now trying to make roots in Canada faces all the tragedies of life. They learn to come to terms with grief and reach out for redemption. In the telling of this tale Basran expounds on some truths such as "Acceptance in therapy is like enlightenment in spirituality: virtually unattainable." Simran's mother, Amrita, is a philosopher in her own right as when she says, "...sometimes forgetting is the only thing that gets you through this life." Simran's brother, Diwa, a special needs person is a poet and he comes out with deep thoughts such as "Holding on makes it hard to move on." This story shows us how ordinary people can live extraordinary lives.
August 6, 2018
I noticed that anytime the author used Punjabi words in her book they were spelt wrong. For example: its subji (Indian curries) not subzi (Hindi version of the word) and Satnam Waheguru (Sikh prayer referring to God) not Satnam Vaheguru (wrong pronunciation).
You'd think the author would do some due diligence to writing the dialect of their own ethnic community.
Also, the characters are from a Punjabi speaking Sikh family, why do they have Hindu names and pronounce things in their language the wrong way.
Perhaps the author is not that we versed in their own community, assuming she is actually a Punjabi Sikh. If she is mixed or half Hindu, then that might explain the confusion or lack of awareness. Still it does not show that the author made an effort to depict it accurately.
Overall, a great concept that could have been executed with better care.
You'd think the author would do some due diligence to writing the dialect of their own ethnic community.
Also, the characters are from a Punjabi speaking Sikh family, why do they have Hindu names and pronounce things in their language the wrong way.
Perhaps the author is not that we versed in their own community, assuming she is actually a Punjabi Sikh. If she is mixed or half Hindu, then that might explain the confusion or lack of awareness. Still it does not show that the author made an effort to depict it accurately.
Overall, a great concept that could have been executed with better care.
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