What is the most unsolicited advice you have received from those nosy neighbors, aunties and relatives? And, I would also love to know the sassiest reply you have given in such situations?
If I start making a list of comments from these people, I will have to write a book as Anchal did.
Based on her podcast with the same name @whatwouldtheauntiessay, Anchal wrote a book about us, the brown girls. It is her semi-memoir with the element of self-help. The book begins with how Anchal paved her way to the makeup industry and then gradually covers the brown girl problems around different topics like body positivity, beauty standards, career, education, personal life, mental health, choices, big life decisions, etc. Each chapter per topic covers relevant brown girl dilemmas with some personal anecdotes from Anchal.
As for the help, I would love to appreciate how Anchal has not made this book sound too rebellious or impractical with her bits of advice. Because I was afraid that this book should not turn into just another “just do this and that” & "f*ck that shit" sort of book with the advice that is difficult to follow. Anchal has suggested some super practical ways out of the mentioned problems, like the golden means out of certain situations. Primarily, the book is about the immigrant brown girls from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but nowhere it feels like that. Because you know, aunties are aunties, no matter where you are. All I mean to say is, it is highly relatable.
I also loved how the aunties are classified in this book, based on the types of judgements they pass. Because, of course, not all of them are similar. *Winks. Jokes apart, but Anchal has considered the element of why aunties behave the way they do. That is making me recommend this book to all the brown girls and aunties as well.
The most fun part is, I listened to this book on Storytel in Anchal’ s voice while reading from the physical copy. The experience was top-notch. I could feel the wit even more through narration.
A light and essential read for brown girls. I am sure you will find solution to some of your dilemmas, because I surely did.
Thanks Simon and Schuster for the copy.