The Other Side of Thirty: Musings of a Modern Day Bachelor Gal
by M. A. Thakor
Category: Fiction

The Other Side of Thirty is the story of Ani Spencer, a feisty, passionate, 30-something architect on a quest. While professionally successful, Ani feels like the “traditional” route to female happiness (marriage, children, etc.) is rapidly passing her by. As a self-proclaimed modern-day feminist and independent woman, Ani is mortified that she even cares about this issue. But to her chagrin, try as she might (and she tries!), Ani just can’t seem to push the issue out of her mind. Uninspired by the current plethora of books and TV shows depicting the ups and downs of the modern single female in witty, lighthearted tones, Ani decides to take matters into her own hands. The Other Side of Thirty chronicles Ani’s efforts to ride the rapids of single life in the 21st century and figure out how to move forward and address head-on the issues that tug at her on a daily basis: dating, marriage, body image, self-confidence, careers and personal finances, and last but not least, building a life rich with simplicity, creativity, and small joys. Ani’s journey is told in a unique format; the chapters in The Other Side of Thirty alternate between Ani’s thinking on these key subjects and what Ani refers to as "d.i.t.l.s.", copies of email correspondences that give the reader a chance to see what was going on in her life at the time these thoughts were written down. While Ani starts off thinking her problem is being single in her 30’s, she eventually comes to recognize that the root issue with which she is grappling is something much broader than that. As a result readers of all types—singles, women, and none of the above—will find wisdom and humor in Ani’s tale about trying to move forward in life.