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helplesswhilstdrying 's review for:
Baby Does A Runner
by Anita Rani
2.5 stars
I really like Anita Rani and had seen her promoting this book, so it had been on my list to pick up. I managed to snag a copy in a charity shop last year, and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since.
The story follows Baby, who’s fed up — with work, a non-committal love life, ongoing grief over her dad, and the relentless pressure from her family to settle down. When she discovers a series of love letters from her grandfather to a woman who isn’t her Nana, everything shifts. Determined to uncover the truth, Baby heads to India to trace her family’s secrets — and maybe find herself in the process.
I love reading stories that immerse me in different cultures, and this one is rich with Indian-British culture, religion, and the social expectations that come with them. The book doesn’t go out of its way to explain every detail for those unfamiliar with the culture — but honestly, I didn’t see that as a drawback. If anything, it felt authentic, and I imagine there’s a community of readers who will really appreciate that things aren’t over-explained.
That said, I struggled with the pacing. It took around 80 pages before the plot really started to build momentum. Since I was reading the hardback edition, those first 80 pages felt especially long. One of my pet peeves is inconsistent chapter lengths - some were 8 pages and others were more quite lengthy, and knowing I had 30 (long) pages before the next break didn’t exactly motivate me to keep going — especially when I was already feeling like the story was dragging.
The second half of the book felt like it suffered from an identity crisis. It began with such a strong sense of direction — Baby confidently setting out for India on a journey of self-discovery — but the plot seemed to drift, trying to double as a romance. For me, that romantic subplot didn’t add much and ended up muddying the story’s core themes.
Given that this is a relatively short novel, the ending felt rushed. As we approached the conclusion, it felt like the narrative threads were abandoned rather than naturally resolved. Although the epilogue did bring a sense of closure, the way things wrapped up overall felt a bit messy.
I feel a little sad about this one. It’s been on my "25 in 25" list all year, and I was sure I’d love it — but it just didn’t quite click for me.
That said, if you’re curious, it’s currently available in paperback as part of The Works’ 3 for £7.50 deal — could be a good one to throw into your haul.
I really like Anita Rani and had seen her promoting this book, so it had been on my list to pick up. I managed to snag a copy in a charity shop last year, and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since.
The story follows Baby, who’s fed up — with work, a non-committal love life, ongoing grief over her dad, and the relentless pressure from her family to settle down. When she discovers a series of love letters from her grandfather to a woman who isn’t her Nana, everything shifts. Determined to uncover the truth, Baby heads to India to trace her family’s secrets — and maybe find herself in the process.
I love reading stories that immerse me in different cultures, and this one is rich with Indian-British culture, religion, and the social expectations that come with them. The book doesn’t go out of its way to explain every detail for those unfamiliar with the culture — but honestly, I didn’t see that as a drawback. If anything, it felt authentic, and I imagine there’s a community of readers who will really appreciate that things aren’t over-explained.
That said, I struggled with the pacing. It took around 80 pages before the plot really started to build momentum. Since I was reading the hardback edition, those first 80 pages felt especially long. One of my pet peeves is inconsistent chapter lengths - some were 8 pages and others were more quite lengthy, and knowing I had 30 (long) pages before the next break didn’t exactly motivate me to keep going — especially when I was already feeling like the story was dragging.
The second half of the book felt like it suffered from an identity crisis. It began with such a strong sense of direction — Baby confidently setting out for India on a journey of self-discovery — but the plot seemed to drift, trying to double as a romance. For me, that romantic subplot didn’t add much and ended up muddying the story’s core themes.
Given that this is a relatively short novel, the ending felt rushed. As we approached the conclusion, it felt like the narrative threads were abandoned rather than naturally resolved. Although the epilogue did bring a sense of closure, the way things wrapped up overall felt a bit messy.
I feel a little sad about this one. It’s been on my "25 in 25" list all year, and I was sure I’d love it — but it just didn’t quite click for me.
That said, if you’re curious, it’s currently available in paperback as part of The Works’ 3 for £7.50 deal — could be a good one to throw into your haul.