You're Leaving When?

Adventures in Downward Mobility

By: Annabelle Gurwitch

Narrated by: Annabelle Gurwitch

From the New York Times bestselling author of I See You Made an Effort comes a timely and hilarious chronicle of downward mobility, financial and emotional.

With signature "sharp wit" (NPR), Annabelle Gurwitch gives irreverent and empathetic voice to a generation hurtling into their next chapter with no safety net and proves that our no-frills new normal doesn't mean a deficit of humor.

In these essays, Gurwitch embraces homesharing, welcoming a housing-insecure young couple and a bunny rabbit into her home. The mother of a college student in recovery who sheds the gender binary, she relearns to parent, one pronoun at a time. She wades into the dating pool in a Miss Havisham-inspired line of lingerie and flunks the magic of tidying up.

You're Leaving When? is for anybody who thought they had a semblance of security but wound up with a fragile economy and a blankie. Gurwitch offers stories of resilience, adaptability, low-rent redemption, and the kindness of strangers. Even in a muted Zoom.

©2021 by Annabelle Gurwitch. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Author/narrator Annabelle Gurwitch is spunky, funny, and upbeat in this no-holds-barred memoir about her unconventional life as a divorced mom of a nonbinary 20-something in recovery. Listeners will find her performance refreshing and revelatory as she takes them through the ups and downs of her unusual life.... Gurwitch's fans new and old will be laughing with her throughout.” (AudioFile Magazine)

"Everyone needs a friend to guide them through the American middle class in decline, and you couldn't do better than Annabelle Gurwitch. She is sharp-eyed, un-foolable, and hilarious." (Barbara Ehrenreich)

"Gen X was promised the American Dream but instead found downward mobility, job insecurity, and non-stop caregiving. In her timely essays about boomerang kids, pandemic coworking, and post-divorce dating, Annabelle Gurwitch mines our generational ill luck for humor and insight as only a resilient latchkey kid can: with an arched brow and a gimlet eye." (Ada Calhoun, author of the New York Times best seller Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis)

"While her general take on all this is humorous, she writes with empathy and knowledge that her situation is nowhere near rock bottom. There are also many heartfelt moments, especially surrounding her nonbinary child. This is mostly fun stuff, but it's also honest, confronting difficult and unexpected situations that many middle-aged women may find themselves in. Gurwitch is an excellent companion to navigate the fraught future with." (Booklist)

"Gurwitch can find humor practically anywhere.... By turns bittersweet and hilarious, these spot-on musings will strike a chord with anyone stuck in a spot of bother." (Publishers Weekly)

I saw myself

In many of her essays I saw myself. I could relate to the trials and tribulations of getting older and have realized how much I needed to hear this.

A combination of Chelsea Handler and Nora Ephron

Why isn’t Annabelle Gurwitch more famous??? I don’t get it. She is so witty, insightful and original. Her humor is scandalous and honest. She is so charming, human and wise. I just love her.

I had no idea what to expect

I had no idea what to expect but I saw Annabella being interviewed on the Bill Maher show on HBO. She was smart and funny and I thought that I'd like to hear more.

I'm pleased to say that this book was a wonderful change of pace. It is thoughtful funny and educational all at the same time. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books and hearing more of what she has to say.

INTERESTING

Funny at times, sometimes hard to tell whom is who.
Entertaining but delightful.
thank you

Hits the spot on every level.

This is a charming, honest, informed and infinitely
humane collection of reflections. It has also provided me with innumerable laugh out loud like a hyena moments . Wonderful listening.

Brilliant, hilarious and funny!!

Loved every minute of the audiobook.
Annabel is so brutally honest and real. She’s funny and I can identify deeply with her motherhood. I laughed loud throughout the book.
I wish it didn’t end.

delightfully honest - loved it

I'm not sure whether the author's style or the uncharacteristic for our time sincerity captivated me more, but the masterful performance definitely helped also.

Enjoyable from beginning to end

Her unvarnished commentary leaves you with a delightful feeling of having met a new soulmate, just when you that no one but you had these thoughts.

Relatable and Entertaining

Great story told incredibly well. Ms. G. had me laughing out loud. Her story is relatable and is told with humor. Touching and entertaining. I’m now searching for more of her work!

Originally not my cuppa... but...

At first I thought this was just not for me. I gave it a one star & said it seemed like someone of privilege complaining way too much. I put it down & figured, I got it in a 2 for 1 deal, so it wasn't a waste of a credit. But, it bothered me. The idea of starting a book-- even one I wasn't a fan of-- and not finishing... so I went through 2 books before I decided to try again. Admittedly, I got through til "The __That changes everything" before putting it down again. But, this time, I went back within the week and I started appreciating Gurwitch's style a bit more. I started to get a better sense of what she was saying, how, and to what end. But at this point, she got me. I've only got about 20 pages left, and I'm glad I went back. And while I might bristle at the idea that she detests a well seasoned duck breast (no pun intended) or a meal of bacon and a side of weed-- I appreciate her pointedness and honesty.