Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else

by Maeve Higgins

Paperback, 2018

Status

Available

Publication

Penguin Books (2018), 256 pages

Description

Essays. Sociology. Nonfiction. Humor (Nonfiction.) HTML:�If Tina Fey and David Sedaris had a daughter, she would be Maeve Higgins.� �Glamour A startlingly hilarious essay collection about one woman�s messy path to finding her footing in New York City, from breakout comedy star and podcaster Maeve Higgins Maeve Higgins was a bestselling author and comedian in her native Ireland when, at the grand old age of thirty-one, she left the only home she�d ever known in search of something more and found herself in New York City. Together, the essays in Maeve in America create a smart, funny, and revealing portrait of a woman who aims for the stars but sometimes hits the ceiling and the inimitable city that helped make her who she is. Here are stories of not being able to afford a dress for the ball, of learning to live with yourself while you�re still figuring out how to love yourself, of the true significance of realizing what sort of shelter dog you would be. Self-aware and laugh-out-loud funny, this collection is also a fearless exploration of the awkward questions in life, such as: Is clapping too loudly at a gig a good enough reason to break up with somebody? Is it ever really possible to leave home? �Maeve Higgins is hilarious, poignant, conversational, and my favorite Irish import since U2. You�re in for a treat.� �Phoebe Robinson.… (more)

Rating

½ (33 ratings; 3.6)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Beth3511
Lovely book...thought-provoking and gently humorous. Her essays on immigration stirred me to (a bit of) action. I don't feel like such an oddball. I appreciated her musings on Instagram; made me look at it in a more positive light. Her affection for and admiration of her nieces is wonderful.
LibraryThing member Othemts
I'm familiar with Irish-born comedian and writer Maeve Higgins from her podcast series Maeve in America where she interviewed fellow immigrants to the United States about their experiences. I expected this book with the same title expanded upon the podcast, but in fact the book is a collection of
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personal essays on various topics.

Immigration is covered with Higgins reflecting on her own immigration experience contrasted with Annie Moore, the first immigrant processed at Ellis Island in 1892 (both Higgins and Moore came from the same place, Cobh in County Cork). Higgins also writes about the experience of making the podcast when her producer wanted more humor and celebrities, not something she could provide when visiting the fortified US border on Mexico and talking with immigrants struggling in their lives in the country.

Higgins also writes about experiences swimming with dolphins, working with the comedy scene in Iraq, reflections on her body image and preference for the single life, and the way her family uses humor. Higgins is an insightful, reflective, and yes, funny, writer and I enjoyed hearing her essays.
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LibraryThing member ShannonRose4
I wish this book was going to be out to share around St. Patrick's Day, but maybe August would be a better time, as one wouldn't want to be caught laughing out loud in Church on St. Patrick's Day.
Is it fitting that while reading the opening essay about swimming with the dolphins, the pages got
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slightly ruined by my tears from laughing so hard that I couldn't put the book down? Yes.
The reflections shared within these pages are beautiful and will make you think as Maeve's observations are both heart-felt & hands-down hilarious.
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LibraryThing member ShannonRose4
I wish this book was going to be out to share around St. Patrick's Day, but maybe August would be a better time, as one wouldn't want to be caught laughing out loud in Church on St. Patrick's Day.
Is it fitting that while reading the opening essay about swimming with the dolphins, the pages got
Show More
slightly ruined by my tears from laughing so hard that I couldn't put the book down? Yes.
The reflections shared within these pages are beautiful and will make you think as Maeve's observations are both heart-felt & hands-down hilarious.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thewestwing
Wonderfully warm and funny. I listened to the audiobook so it felt like I was listening to a friend chatting!

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

7.75 inches

ISBN

0143130161 / 9780143130161
Page: 0.2114 seconds