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katepowellshine's review against another edition
3.0
They should quit trying to sell this as humor. The essays are perfectly nice, but they're not funny.
sarahelem's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
One of the best books I've read. Great bits, callouts, and reflections on their life in Ireland and in the United States.
ktcarlston's review against another edition
3.0
I only was casually familiar with Maeve Higgins thanks to her appearances on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!" but when my friend Abby said she was reading this book I thought I could give it a try. It was decidedly decent and I must say her chapters on body image were probably my favorite. Her thoughts put into words were very relatable and lovely and painful all at the same time. But sometimes she would talk about topics and issues that I was just not as invested as much in. That being said, there were plenty of times while listening to this book that I physically LOL'ed - so you know, while the book was a little uneven for my taste - I did definitely like it.
olinast's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a mix of extraordinary stories I could never imagine living and such specific experiences I have lived.
When she talks about New York, I know exactly what she's talking about, which feels really beautiful and special. She lived in my old neighborhood and the dog shelter she mentions in "Stormy with the Calm Eyes" is the dog shelter where I used to walk dogs. I could picture it very clearly, how far of a walk it is from Prospect Park, how much time she's allowed in the park before she has to return the dog.
"Aliens of Extraordinary Ability" made me sob in my kitchen. The experience of immigration is so freaking complicated in ways I never expected (but should have). When you think about it, you think about the struggle - explaining the privilege of it is so complicated, but she put a lot of thoughts and feelings I've had into words. The way she explored the issue of xenophobia/nationalism/general anti-immigration sentiment among Irish-American folks was so great and well-articulated, and her approach in mapping the history of Annie Moore was brilliant.
Overall, she is a strong writer and she found a great way of transitioning from personal anecdotes and funny incidents into bigger ideas and cultural phenomena. I also really enjoyed the different structures/formats she used in her writing, such as the chapter about the doctor she was dating which she broke down by interactions.
“This darkness is a reason to value the light”
“Old hearts that beat with the certainty of change”
“This whole “leaving” thing? It’s in me.”
“It’s troubling to see how privilege accumulates over generations, particularly white privilege in the U.S., and, when people reach a certain level of safety, to see how they pull the ladder up after themselves.”
“Being white in America is so potent, so seductive. It can blind a person without them knowing it. Being white can make a whole community forget who they are and where they came from.”
“Annie Moore never made a fortune or wrote a book or invented a computer, and why should she? Why should immigrants be deemed extraordinary in order to deserve a place at the table?”
“Annie died before she turned 50, but she lives on in every girl from a country shot through with rebellion and hunger, and in every immigrant who gives America their humanity, as every immigrant does.”
“Living in this city, so far from where I was born, feels like a rare and precious freedom. One I sense is not afforded to many women in the world.”
In conclusion, I miss New York. Be an advocate for immigrants.
When she talks about New York, I know exactly what she's talking about, which feels really beautiful and special. She lived in my old neighborhood and the dog shelter she mentions in "Stormy with the Calm Eyes" is the dog shelter where I used to walk dogs. I could picture it very clearly, how far of a walk it is from Prospect Park, how much time she's allowed in the park before she has to return the dog.
"Aliens of Extraordinary Ability" made me sob in my kitchen. The experience of immigration is so freaking complicated in ways I never expected (but should have). When you think about it, you think about the struggle - explaining the privilege of it is so complicated, but she put a lot of thoughts and feelings I've had into words. The way she explored the issue of xenophobia/nationalism/general anti-immigration sentiment among Irish-American folks was so great and well-articulated, and her approach in mapping the history of Annie Moore was brilliant.
Overall, she is a strong writer and she found a great way of transitioning from personal anecdotes and funny incidents into bigger ideas and cultural phenomena. I also really enjoyed the different structures/formats she used in her writing, such as the chapter about the doctor she was dating which she broke down by interactions.
“This darkness is a reason to value the light”
“Old hearts that beat with the certainty of change”
“This whole “leaving” thing? It’s in me.”
“It’s troubling to see how privilege accumulates over generations, particularly white privilege in the U.S., and, when people reach a certain level of safety, to see how they pull the ladder up after themselves.”
“Being white in America is so potent, so seductive. It can blind a person without them knowing it. Being white can make a whole community forget who they are and where they came from.”
“Annie Moore never made a fortune or wrote a book or invented a computer, and why should she? Why should immigrants be deemed extraordinary in order to deserve a place at the table?”
“Annie died before she turned 50, but she lives on in every girl from a country shot through with rebellion and hunger, and in every immigrant who gives America their humanity, as every immigrant does.”
“Living in this city, so far from where I was born, feels like a rare and precious freedom. One I sense is not afforded to many women in the world.”
In conclusion, I miss New York. Be an advocate for immigrants.