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The Right Sort of Girl
Anita's debut novel Baby Does a Runner is available to pre-order now - coming July 2023!
Fizzing with energy, hilarity and charm, The Right Sort of Girl is the Sunday Times bestseller from Countryfile 's Anita Rani.
'Warm, honest and funny, filled with hope and inspiration' Nikesh Shukla
'Funny, touching, occasionally veering into beautifully controlled, quiet rage... a must-read' Viv Groskop
'Like a bloody good natter with your down-to-earth friend' Shappi Khorsandi
'A joy from start to finish' Emma Kennedy
'Empowering... I will be recommending to everyone I know' Nikita Gill
'I'm a girl and northern and brown, didn't you know? A triple threat!' Trying to navigate her Indian world at home and the British world outside her front door, Anita Rani was a girl who didn't fit in anywhere. She was always destined to stand from playing Mary in her otherwise all white nursery nativity to growing up in eighties Yorkshire with her Punjabi family, spending evenings in the factory her parents owned whilst trying to figure out how best to get rid of hair that seemed to be growing EVERYWHERE.
Anita shares the lessons she wishes her younger self could have 'Freedom is Complicated', 'You Will Fall in Love and Be Loved' and, most importantly, 'Your Anger is Legitimate'. How did she manage to become the powerhouse she is, whilst battling against being too white inside her home and too brown outside of it?
This story of a second-generation British Indian woman up north is also a tale of tenacity and a life lived with positivity and humour. If you have ever felt alone, different, or just not the right sort of girl , this is the book for you.
Fizzing with energy, hilarity and charm, The Right Sort of Girl is the Sunday Times bestseller from Countryfile 's Anita Rani.
'Warm, honest and funny, filled with hope and inspiration' Nikesh Shukla
'Funny, touching, occasionally veering into beautifully controlled, quiet rage... a must-read' Viv Groskop
'Like a bloody good natter with your down-to-earth friend' Shappi Khorsandi
'A joy from start to finish' Emma Kennedy
'Empowering... I will be recommending to everyone I know' Nikita Gill
'I'm a girl and northern and brown, didn't you know? A triple threat!' Trying to navigate her Indian world at home and the British world outside her front door, Anita Rani was a girl who didn't fit in anywhere. She was always destined to stand from playing Mary in her otherwise all white nursery nativity to growing up in eighties Yorkshire with her Punjabi family, spending evenings in the factory her parents owned whilst trying to figure out how best to get rid of hair that seemed to be growing EVERYWHERE.
Anita shares the lessons she wishes her younger self could have 'Freedom is Complicated', 'You Will Fall in Love and Be Loved' and, most importantly, 'Your Anger is Legitimate'. How did she manage to become the powerhouse she is, whilst battling against being too white inside her home and too brown outside of it?
This story of a second-generation British Indian woman up north is also a tale of tenacity and a life lived with positivity and humour. If you have ever felt alone, different, or just not the right sort of girl , this is the book for you.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2021
66 people are currently reading
665 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
August 2, 2021
Anita Rani is one of the few mainstream recognisable Asian faces in British media, working across both TV and Radio.
When it comes to Asian representation in British mainstream media, there is frustratingly very little, and of what little representation that exists, it tends to be of a specific and narrow kind, and a huge amount just goes ignored... untouched! Before I go on further, I will state that by Asian, I am referring to the British usage of the term which generally means 'South Asian' rather than the American usage which tends to mean 'East Asian'.
Anita tells her story from her perspective as a British born female Punjabi Asian to an immigrant family, and she does so in a very pleasant, honest, and open way. She talks in depth about her childhood, her life as a teenager, and into adulthood. She doesn't shy away from talking about serious topics like forced marriage, racism, puberty, mental health, relationships, Partition... and other difficult subjects.
Coming from a Gujarati Asian male background myself, I recognised many of the experiences and situations that Anita described and was able to relate to them quite easily. I'd found myself nodding along many times, even laughed out loud at times! The experiences of her parents and elders moving to the UK with very little and making a life for themselves and raising children is one that will resonate not only with other Asians who went through similar, but also I suspect with immigrants from other racial backgrounds during those times too. Likewise, the same for the children of immigrants born and raised in the UK.
If you're an Asian in the UK, and especially if you're a British born Asian, then growing up in the UK effectively means living two lives. You have your 'Asian' life at home along with everything that entails, and then you have your other life outside the family home... the life that you have in school, at university, in the workplace... where you have to leave your 'Asian' side at the door in attempt to fit in in a predominately 'White' environment. It's a difficult balancing act at the best of times, and at worst a culture clash resulting in bullying that leaves one questioning their very ethnic identity.
Anita mentions how her parents deliberately gave her an international name that would be more easily accepted by White people in the UK than other Asian names. Even her parents names were 'converted' to 'White' names for use in public so that they would fit in more easily, which is something that sadly still happens to this very day, many decades later, just so that Asians can fit in and be accepted by White people... Names like Harish become Harry... Davesh becomes Dave... Dinesh becomes Danny... Rahul becomes Ray... The fact that this is still happening in the 21st Century is shocking but sadly not surprising.
If you want you know more about what it's like to be Asian in the UK and what it's like to come from an immigrant family, then I definitely recommend picking up Anita's 'The Right Sort of Girl'. It's an entertaining and easy to read book. It won't explain everything, and it won't have all the answers. What it will do however is give you a decent insight in to what it is like to be Asian in the UK, to come from an immigrant background, while simultaneously getting an insight into the life of Anita Rani. Hopefully once you've read it, you'll understand us Asians just that little bit better and the difficulties that we face. And if you're Asian yourself, then I expect that, like myself, you'll see some shared life experiences reflected back.
Immigration is good for the UK! Don't be afraid of it!
When it comes to Asian representation in British mainstream media, there is frustratingly very little, and of what little representation that exists, it tends to be of a specific and narrow kind, and a huge amount just goes ignored... untouched! Before I go on further, I will state that by Asian, I am referring to the British usage of the term which generally means 'South Asian' rather than the American usage which tends to mean 'East Asian'.
Anita tells her story from her perspective as a British born female Punjabi Asian to an immigrant family, and she does so in a very pleasant, honest, and open way. She talks in depth about her childhood, her life as a teenager, and into adulthood. She doesn't shy away from talking about serious topics like forced marriage, racism, puberty, mental health, relationships, Partition... and other difficult subjects.
Coming from a Gujarati Asian male background myself, I recognised many of the experiences and situations that Anita described and was able to relate to them quite easily. I'd found myself nodding along many times, even laughed out loud at times! The experiences of her parents and elders moving to the UK with very little and making a life for themselves and raising children is one that will resonate not only with other Asians who went through similar, but also I suspect with immigrants from other racial backgrounds during those times too. Likewise, the same for the children of immigrants born and raised in the UK.
If you're an Asian in the UK, and especially if you're a British born Asian, then growing up in the UK effectively means living two lives. You have your 'Asian' life at home along with everything that entails, and then you have your other life outside the family home... the life that you have in school, at university, in the workplace... where you have to leave your 'Asian' side at the door in attempt to fit in in a predominately 'White' environment. It's a difficult balancing act at the best of times, and at worst a culture clash resulting in bullying that leaves one questioning their very ethnic identity.
Anita mentions how her parents deliberately gave her an international name that would be more easily accepted by White people in the UK than other Asian names. Even her parents names were 'converted' to 'White' names for use in public so that they would fit in more easily, which is something that sadly still happens to this very day, many decades later, just so that Asians can fit in and be accepted by White people... Names like Harish become Harry... Davesh becomes Dave... Dinesh becomes Danny... Rahul becomes Ray... The fact that this is still happening in the 21st Century is shocking but sadly not surprising.
If you want you know more about what it's like to be Asian in the UK and what it's like to come from an immigrant family, then I definitely recommend picking up Anita's 'The Right Sort of Girl'. It's an entertaining and easy to read book. It won't explain everything, and it won't have all the answers. What it will do however is give you a decent insight in to what it is like to be Asian in the UK, to come from an immigrant background, while simultaneously getting an insight into the life of Anita Rani. Hopefully once you've read it, you'll understand us Asians just that little bit better and the difficulties that we face. And if you're Asian yourself, then I expect that, like myself, you'll see some shared life experiences reflected back.
Immigration is good for the UK! Don't be afraid of it!
February 24, 2023
Easy going autobiography of tv presenter Anita Rani funny in parts
January 12, 2022
Absolutely brilliant! A true account of what British Indian women struggle with in all areas of life including growing up and going to school challenges and also making career choices.
Written in an easy-to-read and informal tone which truly brings the reader in!
Definitely recommend!
Written in an easy-to-read and informal tone which truly brings the reader in!
Definitely recommend!
February 12, 2022
Great book that I could easily relate to as a south Asian girl born and raised in the Uk. She expertly tells her story- warts and all! of the challenges she faces trying to straddle two cultures and progress in her career. Very funny and also very thought provoking.
January 19, 2022
What a brilliant insightful book! Something all Indian can probably relate to! Made me giggle in parts as well. Def worth a read!
June 7, 2022
Find this review and others on my blog: https://fizwrites.wixsite.com/website...
Everyone should read this. I love reading memoirs, but I especially love memoirs when you can not only relate to them, but they become instant favourites. This memoir is written by Anita Rani who has graced our TVs as a presenter on various of different shows I already loved her but after reading this I just have so much more love and respect for her and her achievements.
She writes this memoir as a kind of advice to her younger self it is a story of a hustler a story of a second-generation British Indian making her way in a world that only wants to exclude her, and people like her. This memoir was empowering, and inspiring and this is one book that I will be giving and recommending to everyone. South Asian representation is minimal but thankfully we are seeing change even if it is slow we are surely making a change. Rani explores how she is a part of this change and allows us to see how from a young age she made changes but also her family who came to Britain from India encouraged and worked hard to see this change.
I could relate on a personal level to Rani because I have a similar background so reading this I felt I could see reflections it was quite hard to read the struggle but I champion and celebrate all her achievements and it was quite an emotional read. I loved reading about her childhood- which I compared to my own- I loved seeing the hardship and the hustle her parents went through the factory scenes were really vivid in my mind but also the camaraderie between the South Asian communities.
I loved reading about the relationship between her and her brother- comparing it to me and my sisters- and reading about her experiences of growing up where racism was very much alive. Rani explored heavy and taboo topics South Asians like to shy away from especially the illumaunty’s (genius term) topics such as menstruation, marriage, poverty, mental health, the partition, finding your identity the cultural clashes. Absolutely brilliant to see the struggles to see her find normality in a confusing world- talking about her rocking out to music in her bedroom and sneaking out to her working her ass off to get to where she is today. I feel like not enough people talk so openly about their experience and their struggles so reading this felt liberating but also so damn relatable. I know it will enable and encourage young women to find their voice and be as loud as they can and want to be.
I felt like if I saw Anita in the street we would strike up a conversation and instantly become best friends she gives me those kinds of vibes and I loved seeing this come out in the novel amongst all the seriousness she is able to laugh and have a good time- and party- I loved seeing the references to food- as a foodie myself- I know how comforting but also necessary in an Asian household food can be. I loved her for following her dream whilst still respecting and honouring her parents. I love the love she has for her city and the countryside but also for her motherland and for her not forgetting her roots or culture. It is an honest reflection and I feel like it should be on the must-read list. I loved this book, we need more like it. I am so excited to see what Anita is going to achieve in 40 years to come.
Everyone should read this. I love reading memoirs, but I especially love memoirs when you can not only relate to them, but they become instant favourites. This memoir is written by Anita Rani who has graced our TVs as a presenter on various of different shows I already loved her but after reading this I just have so much more love and respect for her and her achievements.
She writes this memoir as a kind of advice to her younger self it is a story of a hustler a story of a second-generation British Indian making her way in a world that only wants to exclude her, and people like her. This memoir was empowering, and inspiring and this is one book that I will be giving and recommending to everyone. South Asian representation is minimal but thankfully we are seeing change even if it is slow we are surely making a change. Rani explores how she is a part of this change and allows us to see how from a young age she made changes but also her family who came to Britain from India encouraged and worked hard to see this change.
I could relate on a personal level to Rani because I have a similar background so reading this I felt I could see reflections it was quite hard to read the struggle but I champion and celebrate all her achievements and it was quite an emotional read. I loved reading about her childhood- which I compared to my own- I loved seeing the hardship and the hustle her parents went through the factory scenes were really vivid in my mind but also the camaraderie between the South Asian communities.
I loved reading about the relationship between her and her brother- comparing it to me and my sisters- and reading about her experiences of growing up where racism was very much alive. Rani explored heavy and taboo topics South Asians like to shy away from especially the illumaunty’s (genius term) topics such as menstruation, marriage, poverty, mental health, the partition, finding your identity the cultural clashes. Absolutely brilliant to see the struggles to see her find normality in a confusing world- talking about her rocking out to music in her bedroom and sneaking out to her working her ass off to get to where she is today. I feel like not enough people talk so openly about their experience and their struggles so reading this felt liberating but also so damn relatable. I know it will enable and encourage young women to find their voice and be as loud as they can and want to be.
I felt like if I saw Anita in the street we would strike up a conversation and instantly become best friends she gives me those kinds of vibes and I loved seeing this come out in the novel amongst all the seriousness she is able to laugh and have a good time- and party- I loved seeing the references to food- as a foodie myself- I know how comforting but also necessary in an Asian household food can be. I loved her for following her dream whilst still respecting and honouring her parents. I love the love she has for her city and the countryside but also for her motherland and for her not forgetting her roots or culture. It is an honest reflection and I feel like it should be on the must-read list. I loved this book, we need more like it. I am so excited to see what Anita is going to achieve in 40 years to come.
January 4, 2022
I saw Anita talk about her book at the Cheltenham Literature Festival last year (and got it signed like the fangirl I am...) and was blown away by her then, and am even more blown away now after just finishing The Right Sort of Girl. This book is so inspirational - I couldn't put it down. Anita's reflections on her life growing up are extremely thought provoking and her writing is so vivid you could be there with her. I wish this book had been available for me to read when I was a teenage girl growing up in Barnsley (Yorkshire). I would highly recommend and I hope that Anita writes more in the future.
July 10, 2021
At home, at school, at the temple, it felt like every environment I walked into was trying to shape, mould and bend me to fit. But I just didn’t. It’s a crazy idea that we should always fit in! So small-minded. So reductive. Sometimes you just don’t.
I've watched all of Anita Rani's documentaries and I'm always excited when she releases something new. In her biography of her life so far, she really holds her heart on her sleeve, she's ballsy and honest to the core. This is what makes her TV so good as well, you just know you're going to get a great piece whatever she is investigating on. She's British Punjabi and proud. I learned a lot from this work, the life of a (brown) woman (she uses this term herself) and the harsh realities of growing up in a racist environment. She doesnt let this phase her, but confronts the truth head on of having to work triply hard to get what she wants. In many ways, the chapter of her coming of age, the conflicts in her household, despite it being loving, the difficulties of becoming an adult in Bradford and having to straddle and live in two value systems is the story of many of us and this is why it is so relatable. It's a love letter to all girls, in a similar predicament, one where she encourages never to let go of your dreams and fly high despite everyone's expectations of you. To find your voice and turn the volume up! I know she's just going to go on and do more brilliant things in her life, the first part, her initial 40 years, just being the solid multilayered foundations to project her upwards into work or personal life dreams she so deserves to see realised. 5 stars. A great journalist.
I've watched all of Anita Rani's documentaries and I'm always excited when she releases something new. In her biography of her life so far, she really holds her heart on her sleeve, she's ballsy and honest to the core. This is what makes her TV so good as well, you just know you're going to get a great piece whatever she is investigating on. She's British Punjabi and proud. I learned a lot from this work, the life of a (brown) woman (she uses this term herself) and the harsh realities of growing up in a racist environment. She doesnt let this phase her, but confronts the truth head on of having to work triply hard to get what she wants. In many ways, the chapter of her coming of age, the conflicts in her household, despite it being loving, the difficulties of becoming an adult in Bradford and having to straddle and live in two value systems is the story of many of us and this is why it is so relatable. It's a love letter to all girls, in a similar predicament, one where she encourages never to let go of your dreams and fly high despite everyone's expectations of you. To find your voice and turn the volume up! I know she's just going to go on and do more brilliant things in her life, the first part, her initial 40 years, just being the solid multilayered foundations to project her upwards into work or personal life dreams she so deserves to see realised. 5 stars. A great journalist.
September 8, 2021
Poorly written as repetitive. I thought this would be much better but no, it follows the recent trend of playing the victim, everything bad that happened to her, was apparently because of her colour. She constantly says she’s a “bad ass” and then goes on to whinge and whine about how tough it was carving her career out because she’s Asian. She even went on to say that she wonders if she would have gone out of strictly come dancing when she did, had she not been Asian. Self indulgent, melodramatic and poorly written.
May 20, 2022
my mom told me to read it bc it's a good example of what it was like growing up brown in the uk so it's good in that respect, and really interesting but oh my god SO cringily written... i really like anita rani but someone really should've made her tone down the cringy inspirational stuff
March 9, 2022
At times a letter to her younger self (though she does say herself that her older self was the one who knew fear, so perhaps she should have been writing to her older self?), a collection of themed chapters that tackle the always-present quandary of representation as a woman of colour in the public eye (Should we? Must we? Do we have to? Do we want to? Do we have a choice? Is it not helpful? Is it not an honour? Is it not inevitable? Can we ever escape? Is it not depressing?), taking us through Anita’s life and family, growing up in Bradford (in her words) British and Punjabi, not “Asian British” as forms ask; from Yorkshire, not England. Anita’s voice on paper is as warm and genuine (albeit sometimes too peppy in ink for my personal taste) as her work as a presenter - as a reader, I wanted to follow her until the end. A cut above the plethora of average “celebrity” memoirs.
January 31, 2026
This is a highly enjoyable book by the hugely talented Anita Rani. Some reallyinteresting chapters about Indian family dynamics and expectations, partition, attitudes to relationships and marriage and her take on her beloved Yorkshire. Towards the end I did feel she laboured the point about how hard she had had to fight as a woman of colour to succeed. a highly important point but it got laboured in every chapter.
July 26, 2021
I did enjoy this. So readable and natural. The colour, smell and flavours of the Punjab are all underlying in the narrative. At times moving, funny, honest and very thought provoking whoever you are and whatever your background. A very honest and open account of a life thus far but relevant to today’s times and there is much that we all go through. Highly recommended.
July 15, 2021
A very good book. Well written its like listening to a friend talking. Honest. Moving. Funny all these emotions come to mind.
I would certainly recommend this book highly. Ideal for book group read.
I would certainly recommend this book highly. Ideal for book group read.
June 21, 2022
I enjoyed how refreshingly honestly Anita told the story of her upbringing. Growing up in Bradford, she explains the difficulties of not wanting to conform to her culture’s traditions and desperately wanting to fit in. She talked about racism; not just from the point of view of racism directed to her, but racism of her family towards British, which made a refreshing change. The last part spoiled it for me when gave about examples such as taking part in Strictly Come Dancing and suggested that perhaps she could have got further had she been white - she got to the semi-final! I give this 3 and a half stars.
September 28, 2023
I started this book 2 days ago and haven’t been able to put it down :)
December 19, 2024
THIS WAS AMAZING!
July 25, 2021
Got me out of my reading rut. A joy from start to finish and her passion and zest for hard work is inspiring and admirable
April 19, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. It is another book that has taught me so much about Punjabi culture and was a fascinating insight into the life of a very positive and strong person. There were parts that made me laugh and then parts that I read with disbelief as it educated me on how Indian people have been so badly treated through history. I am so glad that I read this book as it gives such a positive message about being yourself and not being bound by what other people expect of you. Beautifully written.
July 17, 2021
Part autobiography, part essay on the cultural and societal aspects of growing up in a Punjabi family in the North of England. Rani's humour and enthusiasm leap off the page. There are exclamation marks everywhere, but you can tell they reflect how animated she would be if relating this story in person. The fun makes her serious points hit all the harder.
September 4, 2022
Love this book.
August 18, 2021
It's honestly the best biography I've ever read and if it's possible, I admire and love her more than ever! She is humble, proud, authentic, classy and down right the Right Sort of a human being.
The book speaks volumes on some of the most pivotal topics associated with my own life. Upbringing, family life, education, extended family to name a few. Being an indian girl myself, I felt her biography hit the nail on the head with what it's like growing up in an Indian family; she does it so well that I felt the book be almost a reflection of my own personal experiences at times!!
After reading Moth by Razak, I particularly found Anita Rani's biography fitting as partition was explained in depth. The aftermath and impact which devastatingly affected millions of people for generations left a burning hole in my heart to comprehend the sheer brutality of humanity. There was anger, rage and frustration and I found myself being educated and mentored by Anita. SHE is the role model that we need in the world today for all girls!! 👏
If you're looking for an authentic and bold account of a woman who knows exactly what she wants.. please read this biography
The book speaks volumes on some of the most pivotal topics associated with my own life. Upbringing, family life, education, extended family to name a few. Being an indian girl myself, I felt her biography hit the nail on the head with what it's like growing up in an Indian family; she does it so well that I felt the book be almost a reflection of my own personal experiences at times!!
After reading Moth by Razak, I particularly found Anita Rani's biography fitting as partition was explained in depth. The aftermath and impact which devastatingly affected millions of people for generations left a burning hole in my heart to comprehend the sheer brutality of humanity. There was anger, rage and frustration and I found myself being educated and mentored by Anita. SHE is the role model that we need in the world today for all girls!! 👏
If you're looking for an authentic and bold account of a woman who knows exactly what she wants.. please read this biography
January 23, 2022
A very important and necessary book! Never have I felt so seen - I recognised myself, my family and my emotions throughout; growing up the need to fit in to family, friends circles and the wider community left me feeling winded. A nostalgic and deeply moving memoirs, tinged with sadness but uplifting and inspiring, especially when Anita speaks about claiming your space. Finding yourself is never easy and when you have race, sex and class thrown in the mix it feels impossible to climb out of boxes made especially for you, by other people. I felt the pain and hope. As a woman from a SA background I related and I am glad this was my first book of the year!
Now to go and make my space in any room that I walk into!
Now to go and make my space in any room that I walk into!
April 16, 2022
I think it's fair to say that a grumpy white bloke who is slightly older than Anita is not the demographic being targeted by this book – but such is the power and the passion of her writing that it will have an impact on anyone who reads it.
Even grumpy old sods like me.
Less autobiography, more essays on life as a British woman with Asian heritage growing up in Bradford, The Right Sort Of Girl is as much a guide to growing up for young women as it is a valuable lesson on what it's like to not actually fit in anywhere.
As someone who had the same racial slurs thrown at him as Anita did (no, I'm not, but facts aren't important to racist bullies), I chimed with far more of this book than I expected.
I also loved reading about her time growing up in Bradford - having worked in what is now a slightly forgotten city for 13 years, it was wonderful to be able to actually visualise where she went clubbing, learnt to drive and hung out at her parents' factory.
Ahh, I hear you mutter, but what if I haven't been to Bradford? What if I've sailed through life without a certain word being slung at me? What's in this book for me?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
The emotional turmoil of being a teenager is covered, being brown yet British (but not English, as she points out several times – making a very, very important point that I hadn't previously considered), being Asian but born in Yorkshire, pursing your dreams, trying to fit in when you don't (as a bookish, socially awkward nerd growing up in a town where reading was regarded suspiciously, something else that really resonated), the emotional power of music, discovering your roots....
I could go on, but I'd rather you read the book.
And I appreciate these all sound like heavy, weighty subjects, but here's the book's secret weapon – Anita's voice sings off every page.
This is not a dry tome. This is not a lecture.
Like Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race, The Right Sort Of Girl has important things to say about important subjects – and does so in an open, engaging, conversational manner which makes you pay attention without feeling like you're being lectured.
Essentially, this book is a chat with Anita for 300+ pages.
Which, in many ways, makes it a vital book for grumpy white sods like me.
I like to think I'm up to speed with the social debates of the day. I like to think I'm supportive of those who are 'othered' from my place of privilege. But you can never know too much about what those living a different life go through. And nor should you.
This is a book with several messages, but it's also a fun, breezy read. You really feel like you've spent quality time with one of our most engaging TV presenters.
(Side note - whoever edited and then proof-read this book might want to have another run at it before the paperback comes out. It's 'Rachel Green', Friends needs a capital F and your suggestion about where to put the Strictly stuff is still there and now forms the start of a paragraph that makes no sense for the first 10ish words. It's a credit to Anita's writing and energy that this didn't distract from my experience.)
Even grumpy old sods like me.
Less autobiography, more essays on life as a British woman with Asian heritage growing up in Bradford, The Right Sort Of Girl is as much a guide to growing up for young women as it is a valuable lesson on what it's like to not actually fit in anywhere.
As someone who had the same racial slurs thrown at him as Anita did (no, I'm not, but facts aren't important to racist bullies), I chimed with far more of this book than I expected.
I also loved reading about her time growing up in Bradford - having worked in what is now a slightly forgotten city for 13 years, it was wonderful to be able to actually visualise where she went clubbing, learnt to drive and hung out at her parents' factory.
Ahh, I hear you mutter, but what if I haven't been to Bradford? What if I've sailed through life without a certain word being slung at me? What's in this book for me?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
The emotional turmoil of being a teenager is covered, being brown yet British (but not English, as she points out several times – making a very, very important point that I hadn't previously considered), being Asian but born in Yorkshire, pursing your dreams, trying to fit in when you don't (as a bookish, socially awkward nerd growing up in a town where reading was regarded suspiciously, something else that really resonated), the emotional power of music, discovering your roots....
I could go on, but I'd rather you read the book.
And I appreciate these all sound like heavy, weighty subjects, but here's the book's secret weapon – Anita's voice sings off every page.
This is not a dry tome. This is not a lecture.
Like Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race, The Right Sort Of Girl has important things to say about important subjects – and does so in an open, engaging, conversational manner which makes you pay attention without feeling like you're being lectured.
Essentially, this book is a chat with Anita for 300+ pages.
Which, in many ways, makes it a vital book for grumpy white sods like me.
I like to think I'm up to speed with the social debates of the day. I like to think I'm supportive of those who are 'othered' from my place of privilege. But you can never know too much about what those living a different life go through. And nor should you.
This is a book with several messages, but it's also a fun, breezy read. You really feel like you've spent quality time with one of our most engaging TV presenters.
(Side note - whoever edited and then proof-read this book might want to have another run at it before the paperback comes out. It's 'Rachel Green', Friends needs a capital F and your suggestion about where to put the Strictly stuff is still there and now forms the start of a paragraph that makes no sense for the first 10ish words. It's a credit to Anita's writing and energy that this didn't distract from my experience.)
September 24, 2023
“The right sort of girl” by Anita rani. My copy was an Audiobook read by Anita Rani.
- Track 1: “For daughters with secrets and now her mum who knows some of mine” - Anita rani, tv presenter.
- “Food will always be life and families are never simple.”
- Track 2: introduction - lass from Yorkshire. “To remind me who I am, to tell my younger self, Not to lose her sense of self her quest to fit in. To be the right sort of girl.”
- Not a fairy tale,
- Its about time place and an escape, food family friends, years of trauma, shame, fear and anger, power, reclaiming power for herself, sending some back to teenage Anita, and channelling some through to the reader too.💚
- first born daughter of Punjabi immigrants, explain our stories who we are, whether we want to explain them or not, joy, love, art is political
- Track 3: a rough guide being Punjabi. Anita talks about shame for being different. I felt the same growing up, I feel this sister. It was confusing. Why are the children look different from me.
- “Being bilingual is so important.” I agree with her points. I didn’t see this as a child as I struggled.
- If you’re bilingual you can hear stories from the elders..
- “Beta” - means child, affection word.
- “The loudest person in the room doesn’t always have power” - she said something like this and makes me think of my elder siblings.
- In track 9 (the first chapter I listened to) she tells us how she cut her long hair short. Punishment from her parents to keep it at all sorts of lengths. So funny. Dodgy uncle making remarks about her hair length which is not suitable. I’ve been there. I can relate. Why does this keep happening to young girls.
- Track 10: Colourism - is an insidious prejudice that begins when you’re born. ‘Baby is so fair. Baby is so dark.’ Already on day 1 of it, family members and passing stranger has already made it aware of its skin. If fair, told how beautiful. If dark, a sympathy smile. Congratulations you’re already been judged and to top it off you’re hairy too.
- Fair skin shows wealth and power. It’s not helped by Bollywood.
Anita’s experiences were very similar to mine growing up. This audio book is hilarious funny, comical, serious, sad, lots of history of how her family came to UK. Covers aspects that a British Asian girl would go through, periods, hair, boys, karate dance, martial arts. Being different, trying to fit in, shame and the confusion. I get it. I get this sister. Colourism, body judgement.
Trying to fit in, her experience wearing her Indian attire at the ice cream van. I remember that feeling, that’s why you embrace it. That’s what I do. Embrace my differences.
- “You’re allowed to have standards.” - regards to relationships.
- “Success is for everyone. If that’s what you want.”
- “born in England you are British.”
- “Travel like your life depends on it.” - Anita Rani - my best friend tells me this all the time.
I did enjoy reading / listening to this audiobook but at many points it made my blood boil and by the end of the book, I felt very sad. It made me reflect on my life and experiences.
- Track 1: “For daughters with secrets and now her mum who knows some of mine” - Anita rani, tv presenter.
- “Food will always be life and families are never simple.”
- Track 2: introduction - lass from Yorkshire. “To remind me who I am, to tell my younger self, Not to lose her sense of self her quest to fit in. To be the right sort of girl.”
- Not a fairy tale,
- Its about time place and an escape, food family friends, years of trauma, shame, fear and anger, power, reclaiming power for herself, sending some back to teenage Anita, and channelling some through to the reader too.💚
- first born daughter of Punjabi immigrants, explain our stories who we are, whether we want to explain them or not, joy, love, art is political
- Track 3: a rough guide being Punjabi. Anita talks about shame for being different. I felt the same growing up, I feel this sister. It was confusing. Why are the children look different from me.
- “Being bilingual is so important.” I agree with her points. I didn’t see this as a child as I struggled.
- If you’re bilingual you can hear stories from the elders..
- “Beta” - means child, affection word.
- “The loudest person in the room doesn’t always have power” - she said something like this and makes me think of my elder siblings.
- In track 9 (the first chapter I listened to) she tells us how she cut her long hair short. Punishment from her parents to keep it at all sorts of lengths. So funny. Dodgy uncle making remarks about her hair length which is not suitable. I’ve been there. I can relate. Why does this keep happening to young girls.
- Track 10: Colourism - is an insidious prejudice that begins when you’re born. ‘Baby is so fair. Baby is so dark.’ Already on day 1 of it, family members and passing stranger has already made it aware of its skin. If fair, told how beautiful. If dark, a sympathy smile. Congratulations you’re already been judged and to top it off you’re hairy too.
- Fair skin shows wealth and power. It’s not helped by Bollywood.
Anita’s experiences were very similar to mine growing up. This audio book is hilarious funny, comical, serious, sad, lots of history of how her family came to UK. Covers aspects that a British Asian girl would go through, periods, hair, boys, karate dance, martial arts. Being different, trying to fit in, shame and the confusion. I get it. I get this sister. Colourism, body judgement.
Trying to fit in, her experience wearing her Indian attire at the ice cream van. I remember that feeling, that’s why you embrace it. That’s what I do. Embrace my differences.
- “You’re allowed to have standards.” - regards to relationships.
- “Success is for everyone. If that’s what you want.”
- “born in England you are British.”
- “Travel like your life depends on it.” - Anita Rani - my best friend tells me this all the time.
I did enjoy reading / listening to this audiobook but at many points it made my blood boil and by the end of the book, I felt very sad. It made me reflect on my life and experiences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2022
This is a fiercely honest and insightful memoir in which television presenter Anita Rani embarks on a powerful journey of self reflection; one where the subject of identity is at its very core. As empowering as it is wide-ranging, it explores the various realities of life as a British Asian woman in the UK with a compelling account that combines a handful of amusing anecdotes with serious social commentary.
The title of the book is arresting, and Rani stays true to it throughout as she explains how being an outsider in many respects has made her conform to society's expectations of her over the course of her life, also going into detail about certain prejudices that still exist how that all continues to apply during her career in broadcasting. There are several moments where she addresses her younger self, and these sections come across almost like a motivational speech that could inspire many readers.
At the same time, Rani also speaks frankly about how she felt obliged to adhere to the expectations of her Punjabi family and its deeply embedded culture. It was moving to hear how she felt unable to take part in certain activities, and the thoughts that were going through her mind as she got married. Yet despite never hiding away from the frustrations she has experienced, it paints a very loving and vibrant picture, with celebrations of food and family occasions.
To learn about her education and upbringing was extremely fascinating; of how her parents paid for her to be sent to a more affluent school where she was the only non-white pupil, often making it seem that she had to go the extra mile compared to her peers. It is clear that she has always had a natural determination and work ethic, which helped secure the internship which enabled her to work in television, while the other thing that totally shines through is her love of 1980s music.
Listening on audio really adds to the experience of reading this book. It is narrated by Rani herself, in an unwaveringly upbeat and airy tone. Sometimes she reads a bit too much like the television presenter she is, but numerous sections are given so much more character and depth when you actually hear her say the words, such as the accents she uses and the little giggles after reminiscing about particular events in her life.
Overall, a deeply meaningful and diverse examination of identity that creates a lasting impact. Rani writes with such personality and vigour that her personal story along with most of what she has to say, will be very empowering for people from a whole range of social and cultural backgrounds. Meanwhile there are aspects that will also be relatable to many. Rather than focusing on her career and the bare facts of her life, it is about the complex art of fitting in, and the outcome is all the greater for it.
The title of the book is arresting, and Rani stays true to it throughout as she explains how being an outsider in many respects has made her conform to society's expectations of her over the course of her life, also going into detail about certain prejudices that still exist how that all continues to apply during her career in broadcasting. There are several moments where she addresses her younger self, and these sections come across almost like a motivational speech that could inspire many readers.
At the same time, Rani also speaks frankly about how she felt obliged to adhere to the expectations of her Punjabi family and its deeply embedded culture. It was moving to hear how she felt unable to take part in certain activities, and the thoughts that were going through her mind as she got married. Yet despite never hiding away from the frustrations she has experienced, it paints a very loving and vibrant picture, with celebrations of food and family occasions.
To learn about her education and upbringing was extremely fascinating; of how her parents paid for her to be sent to a more affluent school where she was the only non-white pupil, often making it seem that she had to go the extra mile compared to her peers. It is clear that she has always had a natural determination and work ethic, which helped secure the internship which enabled her to work in television, while the other thing that totally shines through is her love of 1980s music.
Listening on audio really adds to the experience of reading this book. It is narrated by Rani herself, in an unwaveringly upbeat and airy tone. Sometimes she reads a bit too much like the television presenter she is, but numerous sections are given so much more character and depth when you actually hear her say the words, such as the accents she uses and the little giggles after reminiscing about particular events in her life.
Overall, a deeply meaningful and diverse examination of identity that creates a lasting impact. Rani writes with such personality and vigour that her personal story along with most of what she has to say, will be very empowering for people from a whole range of social and cultural backgrounds. Meanwhile there are aspects that will also be relatable to many. Rather than focusing on her career and the bare facts of her life, it is about the complex art of fitting in, and the outcome is all the greater for it.
July 19, 2022
The author is famous and did a celebrity dance show, but I didn’t know that because I’m not in the UK. I wanted to know more about the music that lit her up at those Asian day raves, and how she navigated a career in TV. She is chatty, charming, brave, funny, and sometimes cliche. I’m glad I read this. I could relate to her loving new wave singers whose work in the clear light of adulthood and in the politics of the 2020s, are xenophobic and small, but who were for the moment creators of a culture that expressed MY teen angst too. But then, for her and others in the know in the UK, something better came along.
She writes, “There was an Asian Underground music scene, unashamedly confident and uncompromising, not pandering to what anyone expected from brown musicians, a uniquely British sound. Producers were putting the music
I had grown up listening to, classical Indian music, the tabla and the sitar, maybe some Indian vocals, and mixing it with electronic dance music. Also in 1996, the BBC had commissioned a brand new comedy series, Goodness Gracious Me, which started life as a radio series before transferring to TV. It became an instant cult classic. Yes, an actual Asian comedy on mainstream TV, showing the world how brown can be funny, clever and relatable. We could not believe it…. For the first time in my life, I had a sound that was all for me, that I understood fully. I had producers and musical heroes who looked like me. This music wasn't just being listened to in Asian pockets around the country. Major labels began signing British Asian artists, Asian Dub Foundation and Cornershop, Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh, rebellious and political and raw and cool. They were doing things on their own terms. This had nothing to do with pleasing the white music industry or our parents, this was a sub-culture, a coming of age for second generation British Asians. Had we finally arrived? Were we at last putting our cultural mark on Britain? Were we carving out a space?”
How much better we are now for more and different and varieties of cultural creators, including the author. I think that the intent of her writing — to represent, to heal, to unify, to empower girls like her — is what animates the author, and her words. Parts felt trite or clunky, but it was always real and always authentic. She is also sometimes devastating.
— BELOW IS AN EXCERPT ABOUT PARTITION THAT ILLUSTRATES WHAT I MEAN —
Something else I discovered while making not only my Who Do You Think You Are? episode, but later during the filming of my programme, My Family, Partition and Me, was how women were also abducted by all sides. Forcibly taken from their families, sometimes given away as a bargaining chip, to ensure the rest of the family was kept safe. If this had happened in the UK, there would be so many programmes and books and documentaries to discover all these stories, these hidden family secrets.
What is the meaning of a woman's life? The girl is a burden. Infanticide is criminalised in India but that doesn't stop it from happening. Once, when backpacking across India, I met a pregnant woman on a bus, travelling with her little daughter. We got chatting while I played with her little girl and she told me she was going to see a doctor in her hometown, who would tell her the sex of the child. If it was another girl, she would have it aborted. Not because any part of her wanted to do it, but because of the pressure being put on her by her in-laws to produce a son. My God, it's so exhausting and draining writing this, but write it I must.
After Partition, in 1949 the Indian government passed a law called the Abducted Persons (Recovery and Restoration) Bill, which gave the government the power to remove abducted women in India from their new homes and transport them to Pakistan. The government could use force against abducting families and it could also hold abducted women in camps, if needed. The official estimate of the number of abducted women was placed at 50,000 Muslim women in India and 33,000 Hindu and Sikh women in Pakistan. Until December 1949, the number of recoveries in both countries was 12,552 for India and 6,272 for Pakistan. The maximum number of recoveries were made from Punjab.
These women often did not want to go home as their families would not accept a "fallen woman.” There were those who didn't want to return to the families who had traded their daughter's life for their own safety. There are thousands of women of my grandmother's generation who would have converted to Islam and remained in Pakistan, or converted to Hinduism or Sikhism and stayed in India. These stories are hidden deep within families. Maybe some know the truth, but so many will have kept their secret to themselves. If you know your granny converted, you also know your family abducted her and were complicit in the chaos and brutality. History is complex, history is devastating, history is vital to understand.
Exploring my own family history, I never was able to learn categorically what happened to my Nanaji's first wife. Was she murdered? Did she jump in a well? Was she abducted? Is she still alive somewhere in Pakistan, with a family, her family?
My grandparents and others in their generation, who first came to the UK, brought with them the trauma of Partition etched into their souls. They never spoke of it. How do you? Where do you begin? There is no commemoration for the dead in India or Pakistan either.
When Who Do You Think You Are? came knocking, I was thrilled, but I really didn't know what light it could shed on my life and experiences. I believed that I was a product of my parents. That they were the only ones responsible for how I turned out. What a naïve fool I was! As a woman with ancestry in India, I feel inextricably connected to the place and to the women who came before me. I am them. They are me. The women India has lost fuel me and I owe it to the memory of all those forgotten and discarded, tossed into the dark well of history, whose names have never been spoken, whose memories are kept embedded in the hearts of the ones who knew them, but never mentioned - I won't let them be forgotten. My family, who I love dearly, never spoke of Nanaji's first wife. I never knew her name until
2015, when I discovered it was Pritam Kaur.
She writes, “There was an Asian Underground music scene, unashamedly confident and uncompromising, not pandering to what anyone expected from brown musicians, a uniquely British sound. Producers were putting the music
I had grown up listening to, classical Indian music, the tabla and the sitar, maybe some Indian vocals, and mixing it with electronic dance music. Also in 1996, the BBC had commissioned a brand new comedy series, Goodness Gracious Me, which started life as a radio series before transferring to TV. It became an instant cult classic. Yes, an actual Asian comedy on mainstream TV, showing the world how brown can be funny, clever and relatable. We could not believe it…. For the first time in my life, I had a sound that was all for me, that I understood fully. I had producers and musical heroes who looked like me. This music wasn't just being listened to in Asian pockets around the country. Major labels began signing British Asian artists, Asian Dub Foundation and Cornershop, Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh, rebellious and political and raw and cool. They were doing things on their own terms. This had nothing to do with pleasing the white music industry or our parents, this was a sub-culture, a coming of age for second generation British Asians. Had we finally arrived? Were we at last putting our cultural mark on Britain? Were we carving out a space?”
How much better we are now for more and different and varieties of cultural creators, including the author. I think that the intent of her writing — to represent, to heal, to unify, to empower girls like her — is what animates the author, and her words. Parts felt trite or clunky, but it was always real and always authentic. She is also sometimes devastating.
— BELOW IS AN EXCERPT ABOUT PARTITION THAT ILLUSTRATES WHAT I MEAN —
Something else I discovered while making not only my Who Do You Think You Are? episode, but later during the filming of my programme, My Family, Partition and Me, was how women were also abducted by all sides. Forcibly taken from their families, sometimes given away as a bargaining chip, to ensure the rest of the family was kept safe. If this had happened in the UK, there would be so many programmes and books and documentaries to discover all these stories, these hidden family secrets.
What is the meaning of a woman's life? The girl is a burden. Infanticide is criminalised in India but that doesn't stop it from happening. Once, when backpacking across India, I met a pregnant woman on a bus, travelling with her little daughter. We got chatting while I played with her little girl and she told me she was going to see a doctor in her hometown, who would tell her the sex of the child. If it was another girl, she would have it aborted. Not because any part of her wanted to do it, but because of the pressure being put on her by her in-laws to produce a son. My God, it's so exhausting and draining writing this, but write it I must.
After Partition, in 1949 the Indian government passed a law called the Abducted Persons (Recovery and Restoration) Bill, which gave the government the power to remove abducted women in India from their new homes and transport them to Pakistan. The government could use force against abducting families and it could also hold abducted women in camps, if needed. The official estimate of the number of abducted women was placed at 50,000 Muslim women in India and 33,000 Hindu and Sikh women in Pakistan. Until December 1949, the number of recoveries in both countries was 12,552 for India and 6,272 for Pakistan. The maximum number of recoveries were made from Punjab.
These women often did not want to go home as their families would not accept a "fallen woman.” There were those who didn't want to return to the families who had traded their daughter's life for their own safety. There are thousands of women of my grandmother's generation who would have converted to Islam and remained in Pakistan, or converted to Hinduism or Sikhism and stayed in India. These stories are hidden deep within families. Maybe some know the truth, but so many will have kept their secret to themselves. If you know your granny converted, you also know your family abducted her and were complicit in the chaos and brutality. History is complex, history is devastating, history is vital to understand.
Exploring my own family history, I never was able to learn categorically what happened to my Nanaji's first wife. Was she murdered? Did she jump in a well? Was she abducted? Is she still alive somewhere in Pakistan, with a family, her family?
My grandparents and others in their generation, who first came to the UK, brought with them the trauma of Partition etched into their souls. They never spoke of it. How do you? Where do you begin? There is no commemoration for the dead in India or Pakistan either.
When Who Do You Think You Are? came knocking, I was thrilled, but I really didn't know what light it could shed on my life and experiences. I believed that I was a product of my parents. That they were the only ones responsible for how I turned out. What a naïve fool I was! As a woman with ancestry in India, I feel inextricably connected to the place and to the women who came before me. I am them. They are me. The women India has lost fuel me and I owe it to the memory of all those forgotten and discarded, tossed into the dark well of history, whose names have never been spoken, whose memories are kept embedded in the hearts of the ones who knew them, but never mentioned - I won't let them be forgotten. My family, who I love dearly, never spoke of Nanaji's first wife. I never knew her name until
2015, when I discovered it was Pritam Kaur.
December 4, 2022
DNF 4hrs left on audiobook.
Narrator (the author) has a good voice and a lot of enthusiasm to keep one engaged with audiobook.
Re content - I misunderstood what the book was about. It’s much more of an ode to her teenage years and love of music/obsession with boys than anything else. Good for her fans but a bit boring and repetitive for me who doesn’t watch TV.
I had heard it was good for anyone who had experienced exclusion or generational trauma etc, with the addition specifically of growing up brown in 80s England. What actually happens is a lot of veering towards negativity and then disassociating from it through repetitive, cringey (to me) “badass superpowers” affirmation-type writing. Personally I prefer people to be authentic and everything about this book, including the audio reading by Anita, feels like it is a TV personality performance. And she is a TV personality, so that makes sense. I can imagine it is very motivating for people who enjoy that style.
For me, it was strange to hear Anita complain about her upbringing when she grew up with many more privileges (money, private education etc) than I did. I absolutely understand that she faced racism from others and cultural difficulties from both family and outsiders, and that is very different to the experience of those she went to school with, but I find it hard to relate to complaints that she didn’t have a pony like her bestie or that her parents should encourage her to buy her own Rolls Royce instead of expecting she marry a man with one. She often says things like how difficult it is for south Asian girls who are never allowed out at night and then follows up with how she WAS allowed out at night, complaining how it was far harder for her than for white friends who were lucky enough to be picked up by daddy in the Range Rover. I’m sure it sucked to be an outsider in both communities and definitely that is an important story to tell, but compared to very many people of any race in the UK both those complaints sound out of touch.
I did enjoy the stories about her Dad and all the women who worked at his factory, or about her mum and cooking. Those bits where she really enjoyed her culture and extended “family” and shared them with us the reader.
Narrator (the author) has a good voice and a lot of enthusiasm to keep one engaged with audiobook.
Re content - I misunderstood what the book was about. It’s much more of an ode to her teenage years and love of music/obsession with boys than anything else. Good for her fans but a bit boring and repetitive for me who doesn’t watch TV.
I had heard it was good for anyone who had experienced exclusion or generational trauma etc, with the addition specifically of growing up brown in 80s England. What actually happens is a lot of veering towards negativity and then disassociating from it through repetitive, cringey (to me) “badass superpowers” affirmation-type writing. Personally I prefer people to be authentic and everything about this book, including the audio reading by Anita, feels like it is a TV personality performance. And she is a TV personality, so that makes sense. I can imagine it is very motivating for people who enjoy that style.
For me, it was strange to hear Anita complain about her upbringing when she grew up with many more privileges (money, private education etc) than I did. I absolutely understand that she faced racism from others and cultural difficulties from both family and outsiders, and that is very different to the experience of those she went to school with, but I find it hard to relate to complaints that she didn’t have a pony like her bestie or that her parents should encourage her to buy her own Rolls Royce instead of expecting she marry a man with one. She often says things like how difficult it is for south Asian girls who are never allowed out at night and then follows up with how she WAS allowed out at night, complaining how it was far harder for her than for white friends who were lucky enough to be picked up by daddy in the Range Rover. I’m sure it sucked to be an outsider in both communities and definitely that is an important story to tell, but compared to very many people of any race in the UK both those complaints sound out of touch.
I did enjoy the stories about her Dad and all the women who worked at his factory, or about her mum and cooking. Those bits where she really enjoyed her culture and extended “family” and shared them with us the reader.
March 28, 2024
3.5 stars.
i enjoyed reading this. i think anita is a really interesting person who i've been quite fascinated by for some years now, so i was really excited to read this.
i love how she sprinkled some history into this without feeling like she was telling us some facts, which is something a lot of celebrity memoirs try and fail to achieve. here it felt really natural, and i appreciated learning things i didn't expect to learn. it was also really nice how heartfelt those history lessons were, as she had such a deep connection to her past and you really understand how important it is to her.
this book takes you on a really nice and honest journey that makes you really appreciate how far this woman has come. and i definitely had a great time reading it.
i think the book's semi downfall is that it has moments where it seems to be focusing too much on trying to give mediocre advice that you find in most celebrity memoirs; i.e. parts where the author is talking to their younger self and tells them to never give up, speak up, be proud of the skin they're in, and then dedicating the same advice to the reader. i think this is obviously something people need to read, but it just felt quite repetitive and wasn't really anything super new, so it was kind of annoying constantly hearing that.
i also thought that anita was a little too detailed about certain parts of the story, and i get why she was. it was nice to see her paint yorkshire/bradford in such a positive light, as i never seem to see that, but sometimes the detail lasted a page or two too long when it could have been a paragraph. this also applies to some of the people she describes along the way, as they don't matter nearly as much to the story as their paragraphs of description will have you believe.
i thought the writing style was nice, but much like the advice it did feel very similar to most celebrity memoirs, which would make sense considering the target audience, so i can't fault it too much.
i did enjoy this, and it was well written - especially for a debut - and having read the 2022 edition i'm now suddenly excited to read her debut novel.
i enjoyed reading this. i think anita is a really interesting person who i've been quite fascinated by for some years now, so i was really excited to read this.
i love how she sprinkled some history into this without feeling like she was telling us some facts, which is something a lot of celebrity memoirs try and fail to achieve. here it felt really natural, and i appreciated learning things i didn't expect to learn. it was also really nice how heartfelt those history lessons were, as she had such a deep connection to her past and you really understand how important it is to her.
this book takes you on a really nice and honest journey that makes you really appreciate how far this woman has come. and i definitely had a great time reading it.
i think the book's semi downfall is that it has moments where it seems to be focusing too much on trying to give mediocre advice that you find in most celebrity memoirs; i.e. parts where the author is talking to their younger self and tells them to never give up, speak up, be proud of the skin they're in, and then dedicating the same advice to the reader. i think this is obviously something people need to read, but it just felt quite repetitive and wasn't really anything super new, so it was kind of annoying constantly hearing that.
i also thought that anita was a little too detailed about certain parts of the story, and i get why she was. it was nice to see her paint yorkshire/bradford in such a positive light, as i never seem to see that, but sometimes the detail lasted a page or two too long when it could have been a paragraph. this also applies to some of the people she describes along the way, as they don't matter nearly as much to the story as their paragraphs of description will have you believe.
i thought the writing style was nice, but much like the advice it did feel very similar to most celebrity memoirs, which would make sense considering the target audience, so i can't fault it too much.
i did enjoy this, and it was well written - especially for a debut - and having read the 2022 edition i'm now suddenly excited to read her debut novel.
August 23, 2023
Another book that I can't remember how I found but I was excited it was available as a bargain buy through Book Outlet. I had never heard of Rani, do not think I've seen her work as I am based in the US but the title had me interested. Stories of nonwhite people not fitting in in Britain are always important stories and I was curious to read more about someone who certainly sounded super interesting from the cover.
Rani covers her life, from her early childhood to the relatively modern day. Her family and their origins, her early childhood and into adulthood, etc. What it was like growing up in Yorkshire, encounters with racism, misogyny, cultural/familial expectations and norms, etc. I will bet that anyone who has a similar cultural heritage will recognize themselves or someone close to them in this text.
I have to agree that this is not a book for everyone and that includes me. She seems like a really interesting person to know, but as an author I was not particularly invested in her story. It may have to do with me not knowing a thing about her and picking this book up at random.
I do think that a lot of what she wrote did go right over the heads of a lot of people who read her book, though, as I am unsure if many of those reviewers understood how pervasive racism is and how her stories are really not that uncommon. Someone with the exact same background and heritage might not have had those same experiences, but they do exist and it is unfortunate Rani was one of many who has to endure them.
Was it worth a read? Yes, but ultimately it was probably skippable for me for the reasons stated above. But I'll bet people who are more familiar with her work, have seen her on whatever program, etc. might like this more than I did.
Got as a bargain book as I mentioned as I did not see it was readily available in the US and that was best for me.
Rani covers her life, from her early childhood to the relatively modern day. Her family and their origins, her early childhood and into adulthood, etc. What it was like growing up in Yorkshire, encounters with racism, misogyny, cultural/familial expectations and norms, etc. I will bet that anyone who has a similar cultural heritage will recognize themselves or someone close to them in this text.
I have to agree that this is not a book for everyone and that includes me. She seems like a really interesting person to know, but as an author I was not particularly invested in her story. It may have to do with me not knowing a thing about her and picking this book up at random.
I do think that a lot of what she wrote did go right over the heads of a lot of people who read her book, though, as I am unsure if many of those reviewers understood how pervasive racism is and how her stories are really not that uncommon. Someone with the exact same background and heritage might not have had those same experiences, but they do exist and it is unfortunate Rani was one of many who has to endure them.
Was it worth a read? Yes, but ultimately it was probably skippable for me for the reasons stated above. But I'll bet people who are more familiar with her work, have seen her on whatever program, etc. might like this more than I did.
Got as a bargain book as I mentioned as I did not see it was readily available in the US and that was best for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews