Thanks for Waiting is an honest, witty, and insightful memoir about what happens when your coming-of-age comes later than expected. We spoke with author Doree Shafrir about the inspiration for Thanks for Waiting, narrating her own audiobook, and more!
Thanks for Waiting
By Doree Shafrir • Narrated by the author
“Thanks for Waiting is the loving, wise, cuttingly funny older sister we all need in book form.”
Tara Schuster, author of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies
Please tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write this book and how this story took shape for you.
I got married at 38, found my dream career at 40, and had my first kid at 41. Now, at 44, I’m more secure in myself than ever before—but I spent way too much time in my 30s worried that I was “behind” my peers. I had Life FOMO, if you will—I saw everyone around me getting married, having kids, getting their dream jobs, buying their “forever home—and I was consumed by the idea that even if these things happened for me, that they would come too “late.” In my book, I wanted to explore why I had felt so out of sync, and where the pressure I felt was coming from—and how I not just came to terms with it, but grew to appreciate the time I took getting to where I am.
The book started as a series of connected essays, and then about a year into the writing process I realized I was actually writing a memoir, so I did a huge revision and totally revamped the entire book. It gave me more clarity on what I was writing and who I was writing it for.
In two sentences or less, what’s something that might surprise Libro.fm listeners about your audiobook?
Because I am the narrator, I think people might be surprised by the depth of emotion in the storytelling. I really FELT everything I was reading!
Have you listened to your own audiobook? What struck you about the narration?
I’ve only listened to snippets in the studio. One thing that struck me was that, as I was reading, it felt like I was reading SO slowly, but listening back to it, it didn’t sound slow at all.
What have independent bookstores and/or booksellers meant to you?
I’ve always had a strong connection to independent bookstores. Growing up outside of Boston, my local bookstore was Brookline Booksmith, and I have such fond memories of browsing the shelves as a kid and teenager. Professionally, my strongest support has always come from independent bookstores, and I’ve been so grateful to see the ways in which they’ve promoted and recommended my books.
Anything else to share with us?
I had a lot of fun narrating my book, even though there were parts that were kind of intense, and I hope that comes across in the audiobook!
Header photo by Joanna DeGeneres