Naturally Tan

February 25, 2019
France, the fashion guru of Netflix’s Queer Eye, loves an “I told you so,” as he makes very clear in this feisty and affecting memoir. In covering his rise to Emmy Award–winning stardom from his beginnings as one of the few Pakistani children in his small town in South Yorkshire in the 1980s (and the bullying he endured there), France writes of his misguided dream of being a Bollywood star (he can’t act or dance) and of launching a successful clothing brand before receiving a call from a talent manager for Queer Eye. Peppering his memoir with fashion advice that sometimes borders on harsh (“If you’re wearing Crocs and you’re worried about being single, all you have to do is look down at your feet”), France gives fans of the reality series an inside look at what goes into his fashion choices on the show (including the “French tuck” style of wearing a shirt he popularized). The chapters, which can shift abruptly between themes (a chapter on mouthwash is followed by a chapter on Bollywood), are each marked with appealing illustrations that highlight the stylist’s chic sense of flair. France’s charming anecdotes and candid opinions exhibit no shortage of humor, and fans of the TV personality will revel in the peek into his colorful history.

May 1, 2019

France, one of the stars of Netflix's Queer Eye, delivers with this fun, relatable memoir. From his childhood growing up as a Pakistani immigrant in England, where he experienced racism and bullying, to his challenges and triumphs as an entrepreneur, France offers a touching look at his past and present. Peppered throughout are fashion tips in short, PSA-style chapters, paying homage to France's past work as a fashion designer as well as his current role on Queer Eye. France speaks with candor about growing up gay in a traditional South Asian family, struggling to carve out his place in the world, falling in love with Salt Lake City, and marrying his husband, a real-life Mormon cowboy. Though his trajectory may be atypical, his story gives voice to many underrepresented areas and ultimately succeeds in spreading its message of personal acceptance and understanding. VERDICT France's popularity will surely drive checkouts. This book deserves a spot on library shelves for its affirming representation of coming of age and finding oneself. [See Prepub Alert, 11/26/18.]--Mattie Cook, Flat River Community Lib., MI

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
While France spent his teen years hoping he'd become a performer?a dream he surrendered when he acknowledged he couldn't act, sing, or dance?by the time he, now a successful designer in his thirties, got an out-of-the-blue call from a casting agent for Netflix's Queer Eye reboot, he was hesitant at best. His husband convinced him to take the call, and the rest is history. The Fab Five's fashion expert details a life spent in clothing's thrall, from visiting his granddad's denim factory in northern England through designing his own clothes as a teenager and starting, running, and selling his own businesses. France shares style tips and behind-the-scenes stories in his recognizable-on-the-page voice with lots of humor and well-formed opinions. He also writes movingly of "little Tan," the strong-willed youngest child in his Pakistani-English Muslim family, the racism he experienced, and the othering he felt knowing that he was gay. Musing relatably on the wildness of newfound celebrity, he also reveals how proud he feels to have won fans and accolades for being fully himself.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)