The Lovers and the Leavers is a collection of short stories. The author, Abeer Y. Hoque, has tried to experiment with the form of story-telling. The stories begin as poetry and then morph into prose. They are also accompanied by photographs. The photographs should not come as a surprise, considering the fact that Hoque is an accomplished photographer. Another interesting feature of this collection is that some characters appear in more than one story. The experiences that these characters undergo before they reappear in other stories would intrigue the reader.

Though the title of the book also talks about lovers, most of the characters seem to be only interested in sex. Love, as we know, is more than the satiation of sexual urges. The younger characters unabashedly engage in sexual encounters. Although the older characters may not be as brazen as the younger lot, they too develop extramarital relationships without batting an eyelid. This obsession with sex kills the joy in relationships, leaving the individuals confused and bereft.

Hoque leads one into the world of the Bangladeshi diaspora. Here the characters don't value companionship. They walk in and out of relationships without much consideration, thus challenging social customs and taboos, something that would not have been so easy back home. They wallow in their new-found freedoms, and refuse to weigh the consequences, until it is too late.

The first story, "Before You Eat", revolves around a maid servant and her mistress. Their common predilections draw them towards each other. But while Komola, the maid, finds love, the lady of the house, Nita Madam, is not so fortunate.

The second story, "The Straight Path", deals with the issue of teenage love among the Bangladeshi community settled in the United States of America. This story, too, has two women at its centre. One of the women has a child to care for, yet she leads a riotous life, where sex plays an important part. The other woman is also no different. "Alo" is the story of a six-year-old boy who is in love with his goat, Kishmish, that will be sacrificed on Id-uz- Zuha. The tale of the boy and his goat gets intertwined with the fate of the family, and especially that of his mother. The mother's secret rendezvous with a police inspector is revealed towards the end of the story.

"After the Love" is one of the stories where characters from an earlier story make a comeback. Here one gets to know how Komola, the maid in "Before You Eat", is faring since her second marriage.

The Lovers and the Leavers, as has been mentioned before, has people falling in and out of 'love'. But even those who choose to part ways are not completely successful in detaching themselves from their earlier relationships. Some return to previous partners, even if for a brief period, while characters like Gabriel, who appears in the final story, never leave.

The twelve stories in this collection take the reader to places as diverse as New York, Barcelona, Calcutta and Dhaka. Hoque has fleshed out her characters, from disparate backgrounds, with ease. There is one link that binds the protagonists, all of them seem keen on satisfying their sexual cravings. One woman even runs away with her paramour, leaving behind her children. But it is of satisfaction that Hoque's characters ultimately realize the fallacy of making such choices.

A Bangladeshi-American herself, Hoque has created a host of deracinated characters. Their rootlessness might be the reason behind their constant pursuit of sex. Here sex signifies love and happiness. They relentlessly search for happiness in sex, but, as can be guessed, happiness eludes them. Some get disappointed, while others regret their choices. Ultimately, they learn the lesson of life: that nothing is more enthralling than relationship, neither sex nor constant revelry.

The Lovers and the Leavers might shock the sensibilities of some people in her community. But it cannot be denied that Hoque has put the focus back on the travails of the Bangladeshi migrants in the West, who go through experiences akin to that of other South Asian migrant communities. The book would generate interest among readers. There is always a market for stories that have human relationships at their core.