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A review by historynerd04
Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else by Maeve Higgins
4.0
I originally shelved this on my “lolz” shelf. While there is a subtle humor throughout, it is much more thought provoking than bust a gut funny.
Maeve is best when she’s writing about the immigrant experience. I found those chapters to be heartbreakingly vital - all other chapters felt like insignificant fluff. I am saying this as an American; I WANT to hear about the immigrant experience. Granted, Maeve’s immigration is one of privilege and she points this out multiple times. However, she also highlights the stories of undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients and I felt myself wanting to know more. It took an immigrant to tell the story of other immigrants.
For me, the best chapters were “Aliens of Extraordinary Ability” and “Wildflowers”. You could probably read one 2 chapters by themselves without needing to read the rest of the book.
Finally, because this book is so topical, it’s already a bit out of date, despite having been published just this year. But I guess that’s what happens when the current news cycle moves at light speed.
All in all, when taking the 2 chapters mentioned above into consideration, this is a book that will appeal towards a certain portion of the population. Others will dismiss it as yet another case of someone from somewhere else sticking their nose in something that doesn’t concern them...and, once again, missing the forest for the trees. Because, unless you are indigenous, you, too, are from somewhere else.
Maeve is best when she’s writing about the immigrant experience. I found those chapters to be heartbreakingly vital - all other chapters felt like insignificant fluff. I am saying this as an American; I WANT to hear about the immigrant experience. Granted, Maeve’s immigration is one of privilege and she points this out multiple times. However, she also highlights the stories of undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients and I felt myself wanting to know more. It took an immigrant to tell the story of other immigrants.
For me, the best chapters were “Aliens of Extraordinary Ability” and “Wildflowers”. You could probably read one 2 chapters by themselves without needing to read the rest of the book.
Finally, because this book is so topical, it’s already a bit out of date, despite having been published just this year. But I guess that’s what happens when the current news cycle moves at light speed.
All in all, when taking the 2 chapters mentioned above into consideration, this is a book that will appeal towards a certain portion of the population. Others will dismiss it as yet another case of someone from somewhere else sticking their nose in something that doesn’t concern them...and, once again, missing the forest for the trees. Because, unless you are indigenous, you, too, are from somewhere else.