Book Thoughts: Naturally Tan by Tan France

““The press was always going to refer to me as Tan France, the gay British Muslim. They never introduce Antoni as the gay Polish Christian. Never. He’s just Antoni.””

I was very lucky to receive the eARC of Naturally Tan from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.

I love Queer Eye, and I was very intrigued about Tan’s book, especially as he is one of the few prominent South Asian figures, and the only openly gay South Asian (that I know of). I’m very passionate about brown representation, which will come as a surprise to no one, so I was curious to learn more about him and his upbringing.

The book starts off strong, as he details a moment of racism he experienced in his childhood, and one that he experienced often. This was one of the elements I appreciated the most - his ability to talk about race from a South Asian perspective, and the use of his platform to simply share what his perspective and life experience is and was. While reading, I experienced moments - much like when Priyanka Chopra mentioned in an interview that if she could, she would blush (I physically can’t blush because of my dark skin). It was a validation and a feeling of being seen that I hadn’t known I needed. There were many points in this book, and one in particular, that I remember putting the book down and thinking, wait, that wasn’t just me? I hadn’t known that my experiences and thoughts were something that other South Asians had faced. It had never crossed my mind that these experiences weren’t unique to me, because I didn’t (and still don’t) know where to look to see myself. Tan also discusses his experience as a brown and gay man far more than I had heard him speak in interviews before, including Jonathan Van Ness’ episode of Getting Curious - a great listen (and a great podcast!).

I also loved hearing about the behind-the-scenes of Queer Eye, because, if we’re being honest, that show has gotten me through the past year. Tan offered some insights about filming that I was eager to see - he talked about some of the hardships they had while filming, and other times he simply shared anecdotes describing his friendship with the rest of the Fab Five.

He also shared some hard moments of his life, which I appreciated: his mental health struggles, being overworked, money and fame, and his relationship with his husband. I think, particularly for public figures, it’s a reminder that you don’t actually know the people on your screen, but maybe, some experiences are universal.

At the end of each chapter, there were style tips, which was an ode to his talents and career that got him the book deal in the first place. If I’m going to be honest, I skimmed over these; they were interesting and fun, but I was more curious about his life than how to dress.

Overall, this was a fun read, and it made the airplane ride that I read it on a lot more enjoyable. My favorite aspect, unsurprisingly, is the way it tells the South Asian experience. It’s a small step, but much more than I would’ve ever imagined as a child. The book reads as if Tan is speaking to you one-on-one, and I think that if I hadn’t received an advanced copy, I would not have picked it up in print. Rather, I would’ve listened to the audiobook, because the tone very much reads in his voice.

I enjoyed the book for what it is. The writing itself isn’t groundbreaking - however, I appreciate the actual content and what he represents. It was a fun, easy read, and if you’re someone who is a fan of Queer Eye, someone who wants more South Asian/LGBTQ+ representation, or even if you simply just want an easy read, then I would recommend you pick it up.

Rating: 3.8/5

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: June 4, 2019