Thanks for Waiting

The Joy (& Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer

By: Doree Shafrir

Narrated by: Doree Shafrir

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

An honest, witty, and insightful memoir about what happens when your coming-of-age comes later than expected.

"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)

Doree Shafrir spent much of her 20s and 30s feeling out of sync with her peers. She was an intern at 29 and met her husband on Tinder in her late 30s, after many of her friends had already gotten married, started families, and entered couples’ counseling. After a long fertility struggle, she became a first-time mom at 41, joining Mommy & Me classes where most of the other moms were at least 10 years younger. And while she was one of Gawker’s early hires and one of the first editors at BuzzFeed, she didn’t find professional fulfillment until she co-launched the successful self-care podcast Forever35 - at 40.

Now, in her debut memoir, Shafrir explores the enormous pressures we feel, especially as women, to hit particular milestones at certain times and how we can redefine what it means to be a late bloomer. She writes about everything from dating to infertility, to how friendships evolve as you get older, to why being pregnant at 41 is unexpectedly freeing - all with the goal of appreciating the lives we’ve lived so far and the lives we still hope to live.

Thanks for Waiting is about how achieving the milestones you thought were so important don’t always happen on the time line you imagined. In a world of 30-Under-30 lists, this book is a welcome reminder that it’s okay to live life at your own speed.

©2021 Doree Shafrir (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Tender, funny, and endlessly reassuring, Thanks for Waiting is a much-needed reminder that certain things take time. This is a keen-eyed, heartfelt memoir about ambition, expectation, and the sweet surrender of relinquishing a schedule.... A coming-of-age story that’s truly of the moment and spectacularly good for morale.” (Mary H. K. Choi, New York Times best-selling author of Emergency Contact and Permanent Record)

“Vulnerable, hilarious, and wise, Doree Shafrir’s Thanks for Waiting is a wonderful reminder that life is not a race, and its obstacles can be just as affirming as its triumphs.” (Meredith Talusan, author of Fairest)

“This book is a hug for every single person who has ever felt like they were falling behind; a beautiful reminder that you’re right on time, wherever you are, and that the wait isn’t your life being delayed...it is your life!” (Nora McInerny, author of No Happy Endings and It’s Okay to Laugh)

Very enjoyable

I really enjoyed hearing Doree’s story. She is a fantastic writer. Initially I wasn’t loving her performance but I realized it seemed too slow. I sped it up to 1.2 speed and it sounds exactly how she sounds on her podcasts.

Relatable, refreshing, and highly entertaining!

Absolutely loved this book as I felt that the author was so relatable and wrote her story with the perfect blend of self-deprecating humor and wisdom. Highly recommend!!

Extension of Forever35

Compelling, relatable, joyful, and thought-provoking! If you are a Forever35 listener, this book is truly an extension of the podcast. The book is a chance to get to know Doree even more and appreciate what she’s been through, who she is, and how she helped co-create the community behind Forever35. And we all have a revenge leather jacket and the office stories to go with it! Love all the mini-stories and love the book more! A quick, fun, fulfilling read!
Reviewer- I. Stein

So Relatable

I heard so much of my own life experiences in Doree’s narrative. It was interés to hear how similar circumstances affected her the same way they affected me. So glad to have found this book.

Great book but director stymied the narrator

If you are a fan of Doree, you will no doubt love this book! And when you get to chapter 17, you may instinctively hear a retooled “Maude” theme song with the words, “and then there’s Matt!”

I wish there was a way to critique the director, because i know Doree has the chops to knock the narration out of the park! She already has “her voice.”

But constructive criticism: the narration felt really slow-paced and monotoned. Even the parts where excitement should flow naturally, it felt as though Doree wasn’t allowed to use “her voice.”

To prove my point that she indeed has a great voice, listen to her read the end credits. She sounds bright, enthusiastic, no voice-fry…in other words, she sounds like Doree.

I have listened to dozens of other books read by authors who speak for a living, and their audiobooks sound like themselves. This one, not so much.

Again, i can’t help but wonder what stage directions were given. I guess if the goal was to maintain certain levels, and maintain an even and slow pace, well…mission accomplished.

But it really felt like Doree was done a disservice by not being allowed to use her own, professional voice that’s she developed over the years of speaking for a living.

Wonderful all around

As a fan of Forever 35 and Eggcellent Adventure it was wonderful to have a Doree’s familiar voice telling her story. It was incredibly relatable for me and nearly listened straight through. Loved it! Thank you Doree.

This memoir is a surprising gift

Love seeing her shine a light on areas of womanhood often in the shadow through the lens of her own experience. I blew through it in a day and feel bolstered and grateful for my own journey as well!

Must Read

Absolutely loved the book. Doree is an amazing author and narrator. So relatable and eye opening.

Insightful and heartwarming

As a huge fan of the Forever 35 podcast, I highly recommend Thanks For Waiting. It felt like listening to a friend give her own back story with wit, humor, and thoughtfulness.

Not what I thought but not totally bad

Her "problems" are wrapped up in a lot of privilege, so I struggled getting through the first half of the book. But, I enjoyed the second half hearing about her journey with IVF and motherhood.