This was a really moving coming of age memoir by Pakistani American YA author as she shares her struggle growing up trying to please her parents, her brother's bisexual coming out story and depression, her college friendship with Jamaican/South Asian boy and her pursuit of writing as a full time career instead of becoming a lawyer like her father wanted. She talks about her father's cancer and death, her mother's ALS diagnosis, her own chronic IBS condition and the way she also struggled with suicidal ideation and finding happiness. Great on audio read by the author herself, this latest Mindy Kaling pick was a fantastic read with a gorgeous cover! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

my favorite way to consume memoirs is through the audiobook format, and this one was incredibly special. narrated by the author herself, you could feel the emotion through the telling of her story. the writing is gorgeous in itself, but knowing what a deeply personal story this is makes it that much more impactful.

we are welcomed in to explore farah’s relationships with each family member, with friends, with romantic partners, with faith, and with herself, and within this story, i believe everyone can find something that resonates. her relationship with her brother made me so incredibly emotional as we watched it play out. also, the invisible string that connects her and stephen is truly one of a kind.

I’m actually sobbing while writing this so sorry if it doesn’t make sense but here we go:

I just finished 5 seconds ago and this is one of the best books I’ve EVER READ.

Farah’s memoir was completely GUT WRENCHING, heartbreaking, powerful with moments of sweet tenderness sprinkled through I could cry all night. The way she wrote certain scenes you could feel her complete emotions right in your heart.

Being a Pakistani Muslim American myself I resonated so much with the description of Farah’s relationships specifically with faith and God.

I feel so honored to have read this and I just admire her resilience. Reading about her life, her relationships with her brother, parents & partner she takes you through her childhood to adulthood showcasing hardships & her growth while also making you fall in love with her love story as she is herself.

Reminding yourself that this is a memoir and how much she has lived through just leaves me in complete awe.

I’m so proud of you Farah!

Pls check TW’s before reading.

I picked up this memoir yesterday with the intention of giving it a shot to 25% to see if I liked it. I read the entire thing in one day.

The audiobook is narrated by the author, which I always love. It adds a certain aspect of emotion and vibrancy to a memoir. You know honesty I had no idea who this author was when I picked up this memoir. I honestly just love the cover. Sometimes you can judge a book by the cover because this is one of the most interesting and emotional memoirs I've ever read.

We get detailed descriptions of mother and daughter relationships, as well as cultural aspects that affect it within a Pakistani Muslim family. I was really interested in Farah's relationship with her friends and future husband. It was all very well detailed and emotional. It definitely kept me interested in the novel. I felt a genuine relatability to Farrah when it came to the relationship between her and her mother, as I had a similar relationship with mine.

I definitely cried numerous times throughout the story. Farrah has it very difficult but inspiring life and I am so glad that ending wrapped up the way it did with a wonderful future ahead of her.

I found this memoir fascinating though I am not sure exactly what the focus was supposed to be: life as a Pakistani American? Relationship with Stephen? Her journey to be a writer? All of these things are covered but not one is the actual focus. Regardless, there was an interesting story to follow here, raw with emotion at times, and the writing flowed well to keep you invested in the story. Everyone should be so lucky to have a Stephen in their life.

"Sorry for the Inconvenience" really surprised me. I listened to the audiobook, and it made the story even better. Farah Naz Rishi talks about growing up with Pakistani parents and dealing with their expectations and struggles. Her dad was always busy with work, and her mom had a tough time with traditional roles. It added a lot of depth to their family story.

Hearing about Farah and her brother facing cultural and social differences at school reminded me of my own childhood challenges. It’s interesting how some experiences are universal, no matter where you're from.

The book sometimes felt like a novel, and I'd forget it was a real-life story. The honesty in describing their conflicts and losses was gripping. Stephen, who brought stability and support, added a nice touch to the story.

The audiobook’s straightforward and candid narration was a highlight. Farah’s way of conveying family tension and love was impressive. This memoir is a great reminder of the complexities in family relationships and cultural expectations. I don’t usually go for memoirs, but this one was worth it. I loved it and highly recommend it for a genuine and thought-provoking listen.

Okay, so Mindy Kaling's quote that "this story ripped my heart in two, had me grabbing for the tissues, and then put me back together again," set the bar a bit high. I definitely didn't have that reaction, which kind of stressed me out-- I kept waiting for something that wasn't happening and feeling different emotions in the meantime. I'm not even sure this is meant to be a tearjerker. Instead, it's an exploration of a woman's relationship with her immigrant parents. It's about the seemingly impossible expectations placed upon so many children (and especially the children of immigrants), the desire to please one's parents and yet to also live a life that is personally fulfilling. And these expectations and demands extend to society at large, one's own culture and extended family, encompassing everything from education to career to religious practices, to the circle of friends you choose, to relationship prospects. There are so many ways to be judged, so many ways to be found lacking. Rishi's story is tragic as she grapples with her tumultuous relationship with her mother and deals with the loss of essentially everyone close to her.

I had seen Farah’s viral TikTok about falling in love with her best friend over the years after they had already gotten into a marriage of convenience, so I was curious and excited to read her memoir. I didn’t realize that she had a narcissistic mother and deeply dysfunctional family. This memoir centers more on her emotional abuse, trauma, and grief than on her relationship with Stephen.

Some sections were boring and felt like filler—their college days weren’t that interesting, and her toxic boss at her publishing job was predictable and including those stories didn’t add much.

I’ve seen some reviews comparing this to Crying in H Mart, and I think a major difference is that Farah could see her moms flaws and abuse for what they were, and went to years of therapy to come to that realization and try to be her true self. Michelle Zauner never came to terms with her mother’s abuse and romanticized her instead. Personally, having a mom similar to their moms, it still seemed like Farah still cared too much about her mother at times. For example, when her mother asks for Joe on her deathbed, Farah becomes furious and views that as a deep betrayal. I was surprised that given all the therapy she’d been through, she hadn’t yet realized her mom would never change. Why should she care about her mom wanting Joe on her deathbed?

The ending was a bit abrupt. Overall, this was engaging and thoughtful, however, I felt it would have been stronger with a bit more focus and time spent healing and processing.

For fans of I'm Glad My Mom Died, Sorry for the Inconvenience explores toxic family relationships, falling in love without realizing we are, marriage of conveniences, and losing a parent to cancer. There's signature humor and wryness all balanced with vulnerability. As a long time fan of Farah Naz Rishi, it's a privilege to read. Inspired by a viral TikTok, Sorry for the Inconvenience is tender. While it certainly touches on the story of the TikTok and marriage of convenience, it's also about all the events and ways we become the person we are. The little decisions necessary to be ready - and all the times we aren't.

And listening to Farah Naz Rishi, the author herself, read the book is beyond precious. I've loved Farah's narration of other books (and she talks about her foray into voice acting in the book), so this made it even more special. 100% necessary if you like to listen to audio books.

Farah Naz Rishi is an incredibly talented audiobook narrator and even more so for her own story. She draws you in and breaks your heart and I thank her for it.