'Warm and moving . . . Playing Games thoughtfully and elegantly considers what it means to be a sister, a mother and a writer' Chloë Ashby, author of Wet Paint

'A riveting and evocative tale of two sisters navigating love, loss and desires' Zeba Talkhani, author of My Past is a Foreign Country

The remarkable debut novel from critically acclaimed writer Huma Qureshi: a poignant story of art and sisterhood, family, marriage and betrayal

Hana has a perfect job, a perfect home, a perfect marriage. It is her younger sister Mira who is a mess. But Hana wants children and her husband is hesitating, and perhaps her control is slipping.

Mira dreams of a creative life but she's stuck working at a local café. She hates her flatmate and Hana's dismissal of her writing but she can't find the right inspiration.

One night, a fight between Hana and her husband sparks something in Mira: the words ring in her head and she starts typing. But what can you borrow from your sister? And what can be forgiven?

Praise for Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love
'Impressive' Sunday Times
'Intimate and incredibly insightful' Stylist
'A deft, satisfying and poignant collection of stories . . . I loved it' Pandora Sykes
'Huma Qureshi is a writer I know I'll be reading for years and years and years' Natasha Lunn

"Poignant and impressionistic . . . highly readable and relatable . . . It is filled with hard decisions and harsh truths, but also the softer and more tender moments of life and familial love. Above all, sisterhood is front and centre." - Guardian

"This beautifully written novel dives into the complex dynamic between two very different sisters . . . This is brilliant on siblings, secrets and the art of storytelling. I loved it." - Daily Mail

"

With jeopardy that keeps you turning the pages, as well as both the acuity and tenderness for examining family
and forgiveness, this is a gem of a novel

"Conflict, misunderstandings and a rueful acceptance of their sisterly differences fuel an emotionally engaging plot, but it's Qureshi's lambent prose that makes her novel such a radiantly honest read" - Mail on Sunday

"In beautifully light and charming prose, [Qureshi] gives the reader some deeply engaging romantic drama in the form of Hana's marriage and Mira's romantic encounters, which provide a deeply emotional and enjoyable backdrop for the philosophical musings." - Irish Times

"Observant, bluesy . . . an emotive meditation on the ethics of art and the resilience of family bonds" - Observer

"Huma Qureshi writes with wisdom and heart about two sisters in a fraught relationship" - Pandora Sykes

"Qureshi skilfully explores the dynamics of family bonds in this beautifully written novel" - The i

"Qureshi brilliantly captures the complexities of sisterhood in this intimate novel" - Good Housekeeping

"A beautifully written debut" - Red Magazine

"A book full of raw emotion, tension and, ultimately, sibling love" - My Weekly

"Playing Games is a poignant story about the complexities and beauty of the bond between sisters. Huma Qureshi lucidly examines the curdled emotions of family and illuminates the inner process of the writer. Reading Qureshi's crystal prose is a rare pleasure. I found Playing Games unputdownable." - Molly Aitken, author of The Island Child

"A poignant tale of two sisters that illuminates the complexities of family ties" - Harper's Bazaar

"A moving, sensitive portrait of siblings caught between art, ambition and loyalty" - The Bookseller

"One of the best writers exploring family connections today" - TOAST Magazine

"Well-crafted . . . Playing Games is all about sisterhood, in all its gnarly glory" - Financial Times