The Right Sort of Girl: The Sunday Times Bestseller

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Following the discovery of some love letters to her grandfather from an unknown woman, she decides to go to India and find out about her grandfather's first wife. I absolutely adored all the history in this book, both Baby’s family history and the section dealing with Partition.

Baby didn't know her grandfather had been married before, but remembering him as a mean drunk, she's obsessed with the fact no one has ever talked about Naseeb and that the Ranjeet of her letters was nothing like the grandad she knew. The reason for her trip bears fruit she wasn't expecting in many forms, with truths being exposed, as well as the possibility of a little romance along the way. The TV and radio host also took part in a question-and-answer session filmed by students in the university’s TV studio.Sid also seemed remarkably silent about the atrocities that former neighbours visited upon each other during partition, or blamed the violence, murders, rapes, etc on the British for drawing an arbitrary line across India to form Pakistan - when the reason for partition was because the Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in India could not agree on how an independent India would be run and violence was already escalating in many Indian cities. She shares with us the lessons she wishes her 16-year-old self could have known then: you do not need to bleach your skin; be your own superhero; you are Indian enough; you don't need to compromise on your own happiness; and that there is no such thing as the right sort of girl. As an avid historian, Sid is fascinated by the letters which were written in the mid-1940s, the time of Partition and can't wait to show(off) Baby the real India as well as his own knowledge of India throwing off British rule. I think at some point, you wake up and realise it’s time to make myself happy, because I think women do look after everybody, whether that’s because that’s what society expects, or whether it’s your parents or your husband or your children.

With believable characters, some funny elements (aubergine emojis), heart breaking revelations, family and heart I read this in a couple of days. Whilst at her mum’s house she starts to look for her dad’s kambal (blanket) to seek comfort and in her mum’s peti (trunk) she finds love letters written by her Dadaji (grandfather) to someone who is not her Dadima (grandmother). Anita hailed the city as she took time out from her busy schedule to meet with students and staff during the day-long visit in January.Her debut novel, Baby Does a Runner, although fiction, nods to some of her experiences as a British-Asian woman growing up in the north of England. The captivating story – which I read in just one day – encourages us to recognise and respect our family history. I love that she lists others who are speaking out and doing good work here, making it as usual not just about her, even in her own memoir.

Join the Women's Prize newsletter for a chance to win a stack of all 6 brilliant 2023 shortlisted books, and get the latest book news, author features and exciting competitions! Afterwards, you know, you have a debrief and there wasn’t a woman in the office who wasn’t just like, we love Selena, we want to go for a drink with her.He's dead and we only know of him in relation to Baby's deep grief and love for him; Ranjeet is long gone and we never read his letters back to Naseeb, we only know about his character from her. Baby is sparky and funny, as is the dialogue, and this delightful novel is threaded with humour, wit and comedy. Her Indian adventure was supposed to be one of self discovery, but she spent near the duration going weak at the knees over a man.