The Reading List: The most heartwarming debut fiction novel by Sara Nisha Adams

A BEST OF SUMMER READ ACCORDING TO NEWSWEEK, PARADE MAGAZINE, NBC NEWS, LITHUB, AND POPSUGAR!

"The most heartfelt read of the summer...a surprising delight of a novel."--Shondaland

An unforgettable and heartwarming debut about how a chance encounter with a list of library books helps forge an unlikely friendship between two very different people in a London suburb.

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in Wembley, in West London after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list…hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again. 

Review

‘A love letter to books, reading and the power of connection – absolutely gorgeous’ Ruth Ware

‘The story is an absolute joy. I loved the way Aleisha and Mukesh found their lives entwined thanks to the power of books . . . A captivating and exquisitely crafted debut’ Sunday Times bestseller, Heidi Swain

‘A real heart-lifter . . . . A joyful, uplifting read’ Good Housekeeping

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (22 July 2021) Language ‏ : ‎ English Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008391335 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008391331 Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.3 x 3.3 x 22.1 cm