Baby Does A Runner: The debut novel from Anita Rani

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For some, running is a great way to get endorphins flowing and to sneak in some well-deserved alone time. And after you’ve had a baby, those things sound pretty appealing. But running is a high-impact sport and it’s important to be careful after you’ve had a baby. Your growing bump and the increased levels of the hormone Relaxin, which relaxes the ligaments in the pelvis and softens and widens the cervix in preparation for childbirth, can have a surprising impact on your feet.

Condition: New. If you loved THROWN by Sara Cox and NEVER GREENER by Ruth Jones, you are going to love the debut novel from bestselling author and broadcaster, Anita Rani.Sometimes you need to run, to find out where you really belong.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. Her protagonist, named Baby, is 36, single, overworked and underappreciated. Once Baby decides to go to India it continues to explain what she sees, tastes and experiences. How she finds Sid attractive (don't we all!) Whilst on her quest to unearth history. 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. If you’re feeling well between weeks four and six, you could try some low-impact exercises, like time on the cross trainer or on an exercise bike, if it feels comfortable. A hardy breed, Indian Runners are not prone to illness or seem to be impacted by either hot or cold weather in a negative manner.

I felt a connection with Baby’s search to find out more about her family’s past; as the first generation of children of parents who left their home country, I feel the sense of loss at not knowing my own history, and felt happy for Baby that her bravery on her own journey solidified her sense of self and her appreciation for all of the generations that have been before. This is a story that is absolutely rammed full of Indian terms, especially for clothes, food and religion. Some of which I knew but many of which I didn't. I found myself highlighting so many words and looking them up, finding photos etc that the flow of the story was interrupted - not a problem for someone who is Indian or of Indian heritage, or who knows more than I did. I absolutely loved everything about this novel. Anita Rani has created a brilliant character with Baby who is a sassy Bradford-born girl-about Manchester, living as an independent woman with her own flat and a good job in marketing. Baby is sparky and funny, as is the dialogue, and this delightful novel is threaded with humour, wit and comedy. But, there is also great depth to this book, and it explores more serious issues above and beyond the light-hearted take on the heavy hints about marriage and babies from her Indian mother and ‘aunties’, and the unfulfilling day job. What happens next is a drive across India with rich descriptions of the country, its architecture, the people, the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty and the customs and ways that were so new to Baby, yet touched something deep in her soul. This type of ancestry may have helped create the durable and disease-resistant breed that keepers still rave upon today.

Make sure your abdominal muscles are healed before doing crunches or planks. Do Pilates to help heal diastasis recti (a postnatal class or just from Youtube will help). But also make sure your pelvic floor is solid before doing anything with impact or you will regret it later!”

Baby Saul has had it with just about everything. She's fed up with her job and her colleagues, her love life is permanently casual, and underpinning everything is the grief of losing her much-loved dad. Oh, and if the aunties don't stop asking her when she's going to settle down and start having babies, she might just lose it. And although her own opportunities are a million miles away from previous generations’ (Rani’s parents had an arranged marriage, after meeting for the first time at Heathrow Airport) in the past she’s “definitely” been a people pleaser. It resulted in “second guessing what people wanted, always wanting to make sure that other people feel alright… and that comes from watching the women in my world facilitate everybody else before themselves”. The only criticism I have and it's a tiny niggle at that is the romance side of the book. Baby was on a journey to discover herself and her family's past. Did she really need to rely on a man to achieve this? Don't get me wrong I loved Sid but I would have appreciated the story more if it was just her standing by herself at the end of the story. Content and happy. But it's a tiny niggle as I said and doesn't take away from the brilliance of this book.I went into this book expecting some frivolous fun, literary romcom as it were. And it does have fun bits, it does have romance and comedy. But it also delves into religion, culture, history, generational trauma, in an accessible and approachable manner. These were all handled with sensitivity and respect, and it’s clear that the author has a lot of love for India.