I’m always on the lookout for books about ADHD, particularly first-person accounts by women who were late-diagnosed like I was. Having gone the better part of my life having no idea that my brain is scientifically and measurably different from the average person’s, I’m now hungry for the stories of other people who have lived an experience like mine. I want to feel recognition and know that I’m not alone. So this book was instantly on my TBR when I found out about it.
I found this book pretty easy to get into, and just as easy to devour very quickly. Farris shares so much about her experiences throughout her life as she looks back through the lens of new understanding. I deeply felt her distress mixed with relief as she looked back over all the bumpy parts of her life with the new knowledge that these things happened or were made hard for an actual reason – and that reason had nothing to do with her not trying hard enough.
I was particularly touched by her experiences as a mother – it’s such a challenging, emotional, stressful time, but if you also have ADHD, it’s a rollercoaster that never ends and has no seatbelts (or barf bags). But there is so much in here as she goes through all the major events of her life, hitting all the ADHD greats – money problems, self-medicating, great potential (but not necessarily follow-through), relationship drama and a constant restlessness and desire for…. something else.
This isn’t the best ADHD memoir I’ve read, but each one has something different in it that stands out. For this one it’s her willingness to share so openly about all aspects of her life with ADHD, and her ability to come back with a smile from whatever happened to her along the way. I enjoyed getting to know Farris, and definitely felt so much emotion as I listened. If you’re a woman with ADHD, or even just someone who struggles with things other people seem to find easy, you’ll find some relief and recognition here. And some humour, to boot.
A hilariously honest, heartwarming essay collection about life, love, and discovering you have ADHD at age 35
Despite being a published writer with a family, a gaggle of internet fans, and (most shockingly) a mortgage, Emily Farris could never get her act together. As she saw it, disorganization was one of her countless character flaws—that is, until she was diagnosed with ADHD at age 35. Like many women and girls who go undiagnosed, Farris grew up internalizing criticisms about her impulsivity and lack of follow-through. She held on to that shame as she tried (and often failed) to fit into a world designed for neurotypical brains.
I’ll Just Be Five More Minutes is a personal essay collection of laugh-out-loud funny, tear-jerking, and at times cringe-worthy true stories of Farris’s experiences as a neurodivergent woman. With the newfound knowledge of her ADHD, Farris candidly reexamines her complicated relationships (including one with a celebrity stalker), her money problems, the years she spent unknowingly self-medicating, and her hyper-fixations.
I’ll Just Be Five More Minutes is a powerful collection of deeply relatable, wide-ranging stories about a woman’s right to control her own body, about overwhelm and oversharing, about drinking too much and sleeping too little, and about being misunderstood by the people closest to you. At its heart, it’s about not quite fitting in and not understanding why. – Goodreads
Book Title: I’ll Just Be Five More Minutes
Author: Emily Farris
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook (Audible)
Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Released: February 6, 2024
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Essays, ADHD, Mental Health, Family
Pages: 304
Date Read: April 16-18, 2025
Rating: 8/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.59/5 (1,275 ratings)