The Return Present cover art

The Return Present

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for £0.00
£8.99/mo thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Offer ends 31 July 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

The Return Present

By: Sonia Lakshman
Narrated by: Sonia Lakshman
Try for £0.00

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends 31 July 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

It was about or exactly a time in Poona, India, where in a household of all women–bar Raju–a battle of wills ensues. Ferangiz the unofficial head of the household and her sister Farida go head-to-head in a fight over the fate of Mehnaz, their home’s collective and beloved daughter. One calling, the other warning, both with ferocity of feeling.

Superstition encounters conviction, independence counters devotion, rivalry rules the roost, grief finds its rage.

Who will be right, what will be lost, what will the stars foretell. A gate clangs, a tempest begins, and time unwavering spools its tale.

©2025 Sonia Lakshman (P)2025 Sonia Lakshman Genre Fiction Psychological
All stars
Most relevant  
Enthralling and wonderful family drama. How the instant choices you make can have lasting consequences. Stunning writing. Beautifully produced.

Moving and immersive family saga

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a wonderful book about the relationships and tribulations of a respected family in India is so fascinating. I got completely pulled into the story and was genuinely sad when the book was finished.

Fantastic story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I liked it all. The story, the author’s recording, her ability to create different voice tones. Something special has come our way. An emotional roller coaster.

Amazing story. Beautifully recorded

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fabulous story that provides both laughter and tears with glimpses into aspects of Indian culture through the lives and loves of the strong female characters.

Beautiful love story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It takes something really quite special for an author to make you love their characters deeply; in this, Lakshman weaves a beautiful and raw tale of a family that will make you laugh, break your heart and make you root hard for these women, bringing you along through all the pain and joy of their lives.
Brilliantly told, outstandingly narrated. Cannot wait to see what’s next.

Masterful storytelling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fully enwraps you - I was totally immersed in the story set in India of women across generations in a single family. The love, the trauma, the laughs and the sorrow.
Just brilliant!

A gorgeous story - loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Within five minutes of pressing play I was hooked.
Listening to this at home in Australia I was quickly transported to India, surrounded by the characters I felt I’d known a lifetime. The author (and narrator) has a voice that simply pulls you in and makes this absolutely addictive. She also has sprinkles of the best humour thrown in when you least expect it and beautifully navigates you through a fantastic storyline (which I’m now convinced is based on a true story it was so realistic).
I’m left hoping the next book is imminent and that we see a lot more from Sonia Lakshman. Amazing debut novel.

The best book I’ve listened to/read in a very long time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You are drawn into the lives of each of the main characters and their interaction over decades. Well performed by the author. But it takes a while to get "IzzyAuntie" out of your head - I haven't managed it yet.

Beautifully paced story of a family

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Return Present is full of love, poignancy, wit, and a keen sense of the absurd. It's a great listen which is beautifully narrated and produced.

Lovely story, beautifully performed

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.