Grown-Up Pose

December 2, 2019
In Lalli’s sparkling latest (after The Matchmaker’s List), an Indian-American woman seeks to claim her independence after separating from her husband. Ten years earlier, 30-year-old Vancouver nurse and yoga devotee Anu Desai married her first love, Neil; now they have a five-year-old daughter, Kanika. Almost a year into their separation, Anu still struggles to acclimate to single life while pushing back against the good girl image she’s carefully cultivated for her traditional parents. After a sudden breakup with her boyfriend, Ryan, Anu decides to leave Kanika with Neil and take the trip of a lifetime to find herself. She buys a one-way ticket to stay with her parents in London, where they’re living while her mother earns her master’s degree, but before leaving, she impulsively sinks her savings into a failing Vancouver yoga studio. The studio and her family are always on her mind during the short trip, while she sees the sights. When a crisis prompts Anu to return home, she realizes that independence doesn’t have to come at the cost of her family. Anu’s trajectory to reconcile her close-knit family’s cultural traditions and expectations with her desire to be a thoroughly modern woman, and most importantly, a role model for her daughter, is vividly realized. Lalli explores the generational divide with sensitivity and humor, and Anu’s parents are a particular delight. Readers will root for Anu all the way up through the sweet and satisfying conclusion.

January 1, 2020
A 30-something woman attempts to figure out who she really is, with occasionally hilarious and disastrous results. Anu Desai was always the good girl. She listened to her traditional Indian parents, became a nurse because it was practical, got married young, had a daughter, and then reduced her work hours so she could focus on parenting. But now that Anu's older and taking stock of her life, she realizes that's she's missing one crucial thing--herself. Unhappy in her marriage and desperately trying to discover what she wants out of life, Anu asks her husband to move out, much to the shock of her parents and her mother-in-law. She starts dating again, takes a solo trip to London, and, perhaps most shockingly, buys a yoga studio despite the fact that she knows nothing about running a business. She goes through the motions of all the experiences she missed by marrying young--getting her heart broken, having a one-night stand, going out to clubs. But every person Anu encounters in her new life only serves to remind her of what she left behind. Was she too hasty in giving up almost every aspect of her old life? Could she possibly move forward while hanging on to some parts of her past? Lalli (The Matchmaker's List, 2019, etc.) depicts Anu as a strong and complex character--a woman who loves her family but still wants more out of her life. Although her relationship with her husband is what spurs Anu to change, her relationship with her parents is at the heart of the book. They're sweet, loving, funny, and, as Anu learns, they're more open to change (and more complicated) than she originally thought. Anu's struggle to find herself is wrought with obstacles and sometimes frustrating, but the resolution of her story is both satisfying and realistic. A moving look at one woman's journey between her family and her desire for independence.

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February 14, 2020

Anu Desai married her first boyfriend, Neil, when they were in their early 20s. A decade later, their marriage has collapsed, and Anu and Neil separate. It's a decision that their traditional Indian families find difficult to accept. After the separation, Anu struggles to figure out who she is besides wife and mother, and a chance encounter at a yoga studio takes her in an unexpected and potentially fulfilling new direction. But catching up on the flirting and dating that she missed in her 20s isn't what she expected, especially when her rebound relationship ends in a humiliating manner, and her path forward is increasingly unclear. Anu's choices confound her parents, and despite the efforts of her two best friends, her attempts at living a carefree life fall flat. A family emergency forces Anu and Neil to cooperate, and she begins to question what she is looking for in a relationship and in life. Lalli (The Matchmaker's List) blends humor and empathy in this thoughtful story of personal growth featuring relatable characters struggling with the ups and downs of marriage and parenthood. VERDICT Fans of relationship fiction will particularly enjoy the strong ties Anu has with her friends and family.--Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL

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Starred review from February 1, 2020
Anusha Desai is desperately unhappy. Instead of living the life she always wanted, she has settled for the life she's been groomed to live in the same Vancouver suburb as her parents, married for 12 years to the only guy she ever kissed. Anu wants to be more than the perfect Indian wife and mother, but with zero dating experience and a vague dream of running her own yoga studio, she wanders down a path of self-discovery that has her making immature mistakes and learning life lessons the hard way. But as difficult as it is to live on her own, it's exactly what she needs to see that people can change, herself included, that the relationships she ran from can be repaired, and that the life she rejected can be rebuilt. This heartwarming story of second chances is a testament to the fact that the key to loving others is to first love yourself. Lalli creates relatable characters, realistic and fresh dialogue, and a cultural setting that is both new and familiar. A perfect recommendation for readers who enjoy sweet contemporary romances with an emphasis on family.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)