IrishCentral’s Book Club pick for September is “Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else” by Maeve Higgins.
Welcome to September’s pick for the IrishCentral Monthly Book Club! Each month we will pick a new Irish book or a great book by an Irish author and celebrate the amazing ability of the Irish to tell a good story.
Throughout September, we’ll be howling with both laughter and tears as we read “Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else” by Maeve Higgins.
One of Ireland’s best comedians, Higgins moved to the US several years ago and her new book chronicles everything from the ups and downs of being an Irish immigrant in 2018, to the ups and downs of being a woman, to the ups and downs of being a comedian.
With a new book announcement on the first day of each month, stay with us throughout the month as we talk to the authors and give you a chance to discuss some great Irish works.
The best way to stay in touch with us and other book club members is to join our dedicated Facebook group here, where you can leave your comments and questions or give us even more great Irish recommendations.
If you have any further comments, questions for the author or recommendations for a future IrishCentral Book of the Month, you can email us at books@irishcentral.com.
You can purchase “Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else” here.
You can also find more from Higgins herself at her website or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
IrishCentral’s September Book of the Month: “Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else”
Author/Editor: Maeve Higgins.
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Genre: Essays/Non-Fiction
Synopsis: A timely essay collection about life, love, and becoming an American from breakout comedy star and podcaster Maeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins was a bestselling memoirist 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. Like many women in their early thirties, she both was and was not the adult she wanted to be. At once smart, curious, and humane, Maeve in America is the story of how Maeve found herself, literally and figuratively, in New York City.
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?
Together, the essays in Maeve in America create a startlingly funny and revealing portrait of a woman who aims for the stars but hits the ceiling, and the inimitable city that has helped shape who she is, even as she finds the words to make sense of it all.
About the author: Maeve Higgins is a contributing writer for The New York Times and the host of the hit podcast Maeve in America: Immigration IRL. She is a comedian who has performed all over the world, including in her native Ireland, Edinburgh, Melbourne, and Erbil. Now based in New York, she co-hosts Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk, both the podcast and the TV show on National Geographic, and has also appeared on Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer and on WNYC’s 2 Dope Queens.
You can purchase “Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else” here.
Looking for Irish book recommendations or to meet with others who share your love for Irish literature? Join IrishCentral’s Book Club on Facebook and enjoy our book-loving community.
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