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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Biography/father's letter to his daughter.
Shukla makes this both a beautiful letter to his eldest daughter, telling her truths about her family, father and growing self, as well as making this a biography and look at what it means to be 'Brown' in today's Britain.
As a parent, I was touched at his observations of his baby, his little girl, his curious daughter asking questions of the world and pushing for what she sees to be the 'right' way to be. Her black-and-white and often reactive worldview is sometimes sad (girls are nurses not doctors, there aren't brown faces like hers in books) and contrasts poignantly with the life lessons her dad tries to teach her.
It's an ode to parenting, to the beauty of childhood. To mothers. To family. While also being firmly about race and sexual equality and raising a child (of any race) in a confusing bombardment of stereotypes and perceived perfections.
Shukla is an author I've already read and admired, and I loved the style used here for the book. It isn't quite sequential but there is logic to the structure, I loved hearing him to talk his daughter. And opening up to readers at the same time about his ongoing grief for his mother, his feelings about the father that 'raised' him so different to himself, his own experiences as a parent.
For readers of any race and gender, for parents and non-parents, this is a provocative and stimulating autobiography-observation. Himesh Patel narrates this wonderfully, encapsulating the bittersweet and the loving.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
Shukla makes this both a beautiful letter to his eldest daughter, telling her truths about her family, father and growing self, as well as making this a biography and look at what it means to be 'Brown' in today's Britain.
As a parent, I was touched at his observations of his baby, his little girl, his curious daughter asking questions of the world and pushing for what she sees to be the 'right' way to be. Her black-and-white and often reactive worldview is sometimes sad (girls are nurses not doctors, there aren't brown faces like hers in books) and contrasts poignantly with the life lessons her dad tries to teach her.
It's an ode to parenting, to the beauty of childhood. To mothers. To family. While also being firmly about race and sexual equality and raising a child (of any race) in a confusing bombardment of stereotypes and perceived perfections.
Shukla is an author I've already read and admired, and I loved the style used here for the book. It isn't quite sequential but there is logic to the structure, I loved hearing him to talk his daughter. And opening up to readers at the same time about his ongoing grief for his mother, his feelings about the father that 'raised' him so different to himself, his own experiences as a parent.
For readers of any race and gender, for parents and non-parents, this is a provocative and stimulating autobiography-observation. Himesh Patel narrates this wonderfully, encapsulating the bittersweet and the loving.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
kajalbhagwandas's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
corinnaxsophie's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
So incredibly touching and honest, I would recommend this to everyone!
nicola_hn's review against another edition
4.0
His love for his mother is how much I love my mum too. And his remarks on his relationship with his dad were really thought-provoking for me, since I have a similar relationship with mine. I really enjoyed how this was written as a letter to his daughter, yet he didn’t try to make himself seem wise or all-knowing! Truly lovely and relatable with how raw it is!!
agirlandabook85's review against another edition
5.0
Described as a memoir this was in fact written as a love letter to his eldest daughter, which added to my love for this book. It felt more personal, you could intensely feel the love Shukla had for her on every page.
The book is separated into chapters in which the author muses how to explain to his daughter some of the difficult truths of life; grief, racism, climate control, his relationship with food, sleep training etc... in which he mixes memories, experiences, fears and hopes into a narrative that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I was brought close to tears, laughed frequently, had my eyes opened, privilege checked, understanding of the world questioned and learnt so much in less than 260 (not exaggerating when I say I took notes and highlighted as I read). This isn’t a very long book but my goodness it certainly delivers a punch!
Shukla has poured out his vulnerability in this book and it was just beautiful to read, as a parent I felt his words at time transported me back to when my son was little especially the chapter on sleep! I had flashbacks of this!
I cannot recommend this book enough and would also highlight his new podcast, of the same name which continues on the conversation and is just as brilliant. (No I’m not sponsored
The book is separated into chapters in which the author muses how to explain to his daughter some of the difficult truths of life; grief, racism, climate control, his relationship with food, sleep training etc... in which he mixes memories, experiences, fears and hopes into a narrative that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I was brought close to tears, laughed frequently, had my eyes opened, privilege checked, understanding of the world questioned and learnt so much in less than 260 (not exaggerating when I say I took notes and highlighted as I read). This isn’t a very long book but my goodness it certainly delivers a punch!
Shukla has poured out his vulnerability in this book and it was just beautiful to read, as a parent I felt his words at time transported me back to when my son was little especially the chapter on sleep! I had flashbacks of this!
I cannot recommend this book enough and would also highlight his new podcast, of the same name which continues on the conversation and is just as brilliant. (No I’m not sponsored
ciarareads96's review against another edition
4.0
A gorgeous insight into being brown and British, told through the lens of a father of two young daughters.
cupitonians's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This memoir was a thought-provoking insight into the challenges you face while raising a brown baby in a white-majority country. As someone with brown baby niblings, this book resonated a lot - especially the conversations around heritage and race, and unlearning that "white is beautiful", "brown is ugly". I docked stars because the chapter on "healthy" eating was really jarring. I've heard this stuff before from uncles policing brown women's bodies. It was painful to see him plugged into diet culture and the concept of "bad" food. And how his very, very young daughter picked up as much from him and her school. So, trigger warning for that. I still recommend this reading to parents and piblings of brown babies!