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Tell Everyone on This Train I Love Them
Deeply funny, moving, and urgent writing about a country that can feel broken into pieces and the light that shines through the cracks, from Irish comedian Maeve Higgins, author of Maeve in America.
As an eternally curious outsider, Maeve Higgins can see that the United States is still an experiment. Some parts work well and others really don't, but that doesn't stop her from loving the place and the people that make it. With piercing political commentary in a sweet and salty tone, these essays unearth answers to the questions we all have about this country we call home; the beauty of it all and the dark parts too.
Maeve attends the 2020 Border Security Expo to better understand the future of our borders, and finds herself at The Alamo surrounded by queso and homemade rifles. A chance encounter with a statue of a teenage horseback rider causes her to interrogate the purpose of monuments, this sends her hurtling through the past, connecting Ireland's revolutionary history with the struggles of Black Americans today. And after mistaking edibles for innocent candies, Maeve gets way too high at Paper Source.
Most of all, Maeve wants to leave this country and this planet better than she found it. That may well be impossible, but it certainly means showing love. Lots of it, even when it's difficult to do so. Threaded through these pieces is love for strangers, love for friends who show up right on time, love for trees, love for Tom Hardy, love for those with differing opinions, love for the glamorous older women of Brighton Beach with tattooed eyeliner and gold jewelry, love for everybody on this train.
As an eternally curious outsider, Maeve Higgins can see that the United States is still an experiment. Some parts work well and others really don't, but that doesn't stop her from loving the place and the people that make it. With piercing political commentary in a sweet and salty tone, these essays unearth answers to the questions we all have about this country we call home; the beauty of it all and the dark parts too.
Maeve attends the 2020 Border Security Expo to better understand the future of our borders, and finds herself at The Alamo surrounded by queso and homemade rifles. A chance encounter with a statue of a teenage horseback rider causes her to interrogate the purpose of monuments, this sends her hurtling through the past, connecting Ireland's revolutionary history with the struggles of Black Americans today. And after mistaking edibles for innocent candies, Maeve gets way too high at Paper Source.
Most of all, Maeve wants to leave this country and this planet better than she found it. That may well be impossible, but it certainly means showing love. Lots of it, even when it's difficult to do so. Threaded through these pieces is love for strangers, love for friends who show up right on time, love for trees, love for Tom Hardy, love for those with differing opinions, love for the glamorous older women of Brighton Beach with tattooed eyeliner and gold jewelry, love for everybody on this train.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2022
96 people are currently reading
2929 people want to read
About the author
Maeve Higgins
6 books136 followersMaeve Anna Higgins is an Irish comedian from Cobh, County Cork, based in New York. She was a principal actor and writer of the RTÉ production Naked Camera, as well as for her own show Maeve Higgins' Fancy Vittles. Her book of essays We Have A Good Time, Don't We? was published by Hachette in 2012. She wrote for The Irish Times and produces radio documentaries.[2] She previously appeared on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM.[3] Higgins appeared in her first starring film role in the 2019 Irish comedy Extra Ordinary.
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February 24, 2022I generally don't like to write reviews of books I haven't read, but I wanted to mention this for people who may not be aware: "Tell everyone on this train I love them" were the last words of Taliesin Namkai-Meche, who was stabbed to death on a train by a white supremacist while protecting two teenaged girls from the attack.
I'm unsure how Taliesin's family feels about Higgins using his words for her "humorous memoir," but I have seen a few of his friends speaking out to say that they think the title of this book is in bad taste. I personally think it's in bad taste to use someone else's dying words as the title of your own memoir. It feels as though Higgins is using someone else's tragedy to sell her book, and is placing herself at the epicenter of the conversation. As I mentioned before, I have not read the book. I do not plan to read the book. But from what I've seen, it doesn't sound like this book is about dismantling the white supremacy that killed Taliesin. Even if Higgins does tackle the topic of white supremacy in this book, I still question the appropriateness of naming her memoir, a book that is quintessentially about her, the dying words of another.
I'm unsure how Taliesin's family feels about Higgins using his words for her "humorous memoir," but I have seen a few of his friends speaking out to say that they think the title of this book is in bad taste. I personally think it's in bad taste to use someone else's dying words as the title of your own memoir. It feels as though Higgins is using someone else's tragedy to sell her book, and is placing herself at the epicenter of the conversation. As I mentioned before, I have not read the book. I do not plan to read the book. But from what I've seen, it doesn't sound like this book is about dismantling the white supremacy that killed Taliesin. Even if Higgins does tackle the topic of white supremacy in this book, I still question the appropriateness of naming her memoir, a book that is quintessentially about her, the dying words of another.
November 29, 2021
Tell Everyone on This Train I Love Them is my first Maeve Higgins experience other than LOLing at her shenanigans on “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”- which is honestly one of my favorite things to do. She spouts nonstop hilarity with zero hesitation and the added benefit of a charming Irish accent that is impossible to resist. I highly recommend listening to an episode or two with her before diving into this book, because while the essay where she accidentally eats way too much of something (that I won’t name here) isn’t ENTIRELY humorous, the parts that are funny are even funnier with the accent. I will say I went into this book expecting a lot more comedy than there is. However, I’m not disappointed. At all. There are certainly some laugh out loud moments, but more importantly there was a lot of really beautiful writing.
I really love the blurb provided by the publisher that Higgins is “writing about a country that can feel broken into pieces and the light that shines through the cracks,” as Higgins is, in fact, an immigrant- and therefore she does have a unique perspective on this country. She’s also quite aware (and discusses) that she is from Ireland and her immigration experience is incomparable to what is going on at the border with Mexico. I will say that I was weirdly hyper-aware that I was reading the thoughts of a cis white woman regarding racial justice, immigration, the pandemic, the climate crisis- etc, but at the end of the day the through-lines of Higgins’ reckonings with her mental health and anxiety made this a read that was well worth it for me.
Two excerpts that I particularly loved:
On mental health, from “Bubbles and Planks”:
“Too often when my mental weather requires I take a raincheck, I either force myself to carry on or I retreat and cover it up with lies. The effort it takes to push through a business meeting at the same time as another layer of my mind is whirring with a hundred unbidden and terrible scenarios leaves me bone-tired, but I’d rather do it than cancel the meeting and admit defeat by anxiety. And ‘Oh, damn, I just got a deadline—I don’t think I can make it to dinner’ is much easier to tell a friend than ‘I feel like my skin is missing and I don’t want you to see me like this.’”
On leaving Earth for Mars to escape the climate crisis, from “Death Tax”:
“The trip to Mars will take around nine months, assuming you make it through the meteors and cosmic radiation. You’d then have to figure out how to land, and that’s when the work would truly begin: creating entirely new conditions that could allow you to survive. Even thinking about it a tiny bit seriously is an enormous feat of imagination and ingenuity. Instead, we could use that same imagination and ingenuity right here on Earth, right now, when we need it so desperately. Ghosting the planet is the worst thing we could do to ourselves. It’s difficult to fully love the one you’re with, though, if you don’t see a future together. So I’m imagining a beautiful future for us and this planet, the happiest of marriages with coral and forests and honeybees all around.”
This is a quick read that will please folks looking for a gentle but profound perspective on many current issues, particularly dealing with mental illness.
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the review copy!
I really love the blurb provided by the publisher that Higgins is “writing about a country that can feel broken into pieces and the light that shines through the cracks,” as Higgins is, in fact, an immigrant- and therefore she does have a unique perspective on this country. She’s also quite aware (and discusses) that she is from Ireland and her immigration experience is incomparable to what is going on at the border with Mexico. I will say that I was weirdly hyper-aware that I was reading the thoughts of a cis white woman regarding racial justice, immigration, the pandemic, the climate crisis- etc, but at the end of the day the through-lines of Higgins’ reckonings with her mental health and anxiety made this a read that was well worth it for me.
Two excerpts that I particularly loved:
On mental health, from “Bubbles and Planks”:
“Too often when my mental weather requires I take a raincheck, I either force myself to carry on or I retreat and cover it up with lies. The effort it takes to push through a business meeting at the same time as another layer of my mind is whirring with a hundred unbidden and terrible scenarios leaves me bone-tired, but I’d rather do it than cancel the meeting and admit defeat by anxiety. And ‘Oh, damn, I just got a deadline—I don’t think I can make it to dinner’ is much easier to tell a friend than ‘I feel like my skin is missing and I don’t want you to see me like this.’”
On leaving Earth for Mars to escape the climate crisis, from “Death Tax”:
“The trip to Mars will take around nine months, assuming you make it through the meteors and cosmic radiation. You’d then have to figure out how to land, and that’s when the work would truly begin: creating entirely new conditions that could allow you to survive. Even thinking about it a tiny bit seriously is an enormous feat of imagination and ingenuity. Instead, we could use that same imagination and ingenuity right here on Earth, right now, when we need it so desperately. Ghosting the planet is the worst thing we could do to ourselves. It’s difficult to fully love the one you’re with, though, if you don’t see a future together. So I’m imagining a beautiful future for us and this planet, the happiest of marriages with coral and forests and honeybees all around.”
This is a quick read that will please folks looking for a gentle but profound perspective on many current issues, particularly dealing with mental illness.
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the review copy!
February 25, 2022
This is wrong on so many counts.
https://twitter.com/juliegrnchs/statu...
https://twitter.com/juliegrnchs/statu...
February 28, 2022
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you!
I have been a fan of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me..." on NPR since it first appeared on my local station years and years ago. Maeve Higgins has been an infrequent guest who makes me laugh with her deliberate, ditsy naiveté. It's partly the Cork accent and partly her sly humor that I so thoroughly enjoy. It's why I was really excited when I got the email telling me I won a copy. I thought it would be a funny and joyful look at the life of a new Irish immigrant in New York. My grandmother was an Irish immigrant in New York at the turn of the last century. I looked forward to a modern take on the immigrant story that I'm very familiar with.
No. This book is not humorous. It is not funny in any way. I've been living in a small town since the early 1990s. Since 9/11 and again since Covid, this town has taken in waves of people moving in from a large, major city. It seems like each one moves here because they say, "It's so wonderful here. But ..." This should change, that should change, That highway should be like that town, the name of my street does not suit me, etc., etc. Ms. Higgins is very like these people. She came to the US presumably because Ireland did not suit her, but apparantly neither does the US. She does not seem to like it here. I am not a nationalist, but it just doesn't come off very well.
New York has welcomed billions of people, Ms. Higgins is just one. Yes, there are many problems in the US, especially under the last administration. May I point out that New York did not support Trump ever? Small steps Maeve.
If you are seeking to read a group of humorous essays, or witty observations, keep looking. Maybe we need to read the observations of an outsider? I'm not sure I felt like reading this. At least it's short.
I have been a fan of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me..." on NPR since it first appeared on my local station years and years ago. Maeve Higgins has been an infrequent guest who makes me laugh with her deliberate, ditsy naiveté. It's partly the Cork accent and partly her sly humor that I so thoroughly enjoy. It's why I was really excited when I got the email telling me I won a copy. I thought it would be a funny and joyful look at the life of a new Irish immigrant in New York. My grandmother was an Irish immigrant in New York at the turn of the last century. I looked forward to a modern take on the immigrant story that I'm very familiar with.
No. This book is not humorous. It is not funny in any way. I've been living in a small town since the early 1990s. Since 9/11 and again since Covid, this town has taken in waves of people moving in from a large, major city. It seems like each one moves here because they say, "It's so wonderful here. But ..." This should change, that should change, That highway should be like that town, the name of my street does not suit me, etc., etc. Ms. Higgins is very like these people. She came to the US presumably because Ireland did not suit her, but apparantly neither does the US. She does not seem to like it here. I am not a nationalist, but it just doesn't come off very well.
New York has welcomed billions of people, Ms. Higgins is just one. Yes, there are many problems in the US, especially under the last administration. May I point out that New York did not support Trump ever? Small steps Maeve.
If you are seeking to read a group of humorous essays, or witty observations, keep looking. Maybe we need to read the observations of an outsider? I'm not sure I felt like reading this. At least it's short.
April 27, 2022
I love Maeve Higgins. I listened to the audiobook, which she voices in her wonderful Irish accent. The collection is largely about immigration, being a New Yorker, what it means to feel "home." I would say that I was expecting more humor, but many of the essays are quite serious.
To the one-star reviewers who have taken umbrage at the title: maybe save your outrage for something more productive. The title was used in a totally respectful way, to make a point about loving each other, no matter the differences.
"I haven't read the book, but..." is why Goodreads is a garbage-fire. Read it or don't, but literally don't judge a book by its cover.
To the one-star reviewers who have taken umbrage at the title: maybe save your outrage for something more productive. The title was used in a totally respectful way, to make a point about loving each other, no matter the differences.
"I haven't read the book, but..." is why Goodreads is a garbage-fire. Read it or don't, but literally don't judge a book by its cover.
February 24, 2022
I adore Maeve Higgins and I really wanted to love this book. I kept waiting for the promised humor & light shining through the cracks from its descriptive blurb, but mostly all I was by the end was depressed. When Maeve talked about her own life and her own adventures, including her own mental health, things were more compelling. But I first found my attention drifting during a lengthy story about monuments and the history of colonialism which had very little humor that could be pulled from it, cringed through the border expo story next which again seemed to encompass very little to laugh about, and after a brief glimmer of hope about the train wreck misconnections of 90-Day Fiance the book fell apart again ... there are a scattering of jokes here and there, but by the time any particular one floated by on the current of political history and criticisms, it seemed more discordant than humorous.
I grew up in Appalachia, a liberal at heart who self-transplanted a adulthood to the greater NYC metro area, where I remain to this day. Having had a foot in both the elitist north and the blue collar south, I wanted to hear an "outsider's" perspective on the broader sweeps of American culture. But the book just kept falling short for me; as each subject unfolded I kept waiting for some pithy insight that would ease the sting of hard truths by giving me some glimmer of hope via laughing at ourselves, at this country, deeply troubled but maybe not beyond saving? But it didn't come. Or maybe it was just too subtle for me. What I was left with at the end of the book was the sense that Higgins never really got deeply in touch with any part of America outside of her core group of NYC friends, and that this book was written with them as the intended audience, (a "can you believe these people?" while gesturing toward Texas sort of tone) so perhaps that's why I just couldn't connect nor did I smile or laugh much at all.
Maeve in every other medium I've had the pleasure to see her in has such a great way with language and the ability to pull humor out of almost anything, but for me she didn't pull much out in this book. Even listening to her read the audiobook didn't save it. There were small glimpses of bemused affection, but I never felt the great grand love she repeatedly claimed to have for America (too much telling, not enough showing). Still love the author, still a fan. Just disappointed this book didn't live up to whatever expectations I had set going in, and maybe that is partly on me for thinking such a warm upbeat blurb would mean a warm upbeat book, but not completely.
I grew up in Appalachia, a liberal at heart who self-transplanted a adulthood to the greater NYC metro area, where I remain to this day. Having had a foot in both the elitist north and the blue collar south, I wanted to hear an "outsider's" perspective on the broader sweeps of American culture. But the book just kept falling short for me; as each subject unfolded I kept waiting for some pithy insight that would ease the sting of hard truths by giving me some glimmer of hope via laughing at ourselves, at this country, deeply troubled but maybe not beyond saving? But it didn't come. Or maybe it was just too subtle for me. What I was left with at the end of the book was the sense that Higgins never really got deeply in touch with any part of America outside of her core group of NYC friends, and that this book was written with them as the intended audience, (a "can you believe these people?" while gesturing toward Texas sort of tone) so perhaps that's why I just couldn't connect nor did I smile or laugh much at all.
Maeve in every other medium I've had the pleasure to see her in has such a great way with language and the ability to pull humor out of almost anything, but for me she didn't pull much out in this book. Even listening to her read the audiobook didn't save it. There were small glimpses of bemused affection, but I never felt the great grand love she repeatedly claimed to have for America (too much telling, not enough showing). Still love the author, still a fan. Just disappointed this book didn't live up to whatever expectations I had set going in, and maybe that is partly on me for thinking such a warm upbeat blurb would mean a warm upbeat book, but not completely.
April 28, 2022
I think many of the negative ratings of this book stem from a marketing problem, rather than a problem with this book. It’s mainly not humorous and it’s not a memoir, but it’s been billed as those things. It’s actually a very readable and interesting collection of essays by an Irish woman living in the US, examining white supremacy, borders, and the COVID era. I didn’t know she was a comedian or anything about her, until it came up in the book.
The final page of the book explains the origin of the book’s title and how the author uses the dying word’s of a hero as her mantra to try to be more compassionate and loving and to recognize interconnectedness. I was a little taken aback when I read this, because the cover of the book is a great, funny New Yorker-style cartoon of a pre-covid NYC subway train (the artist is Ilya Millstein.) So I thought the title referred to life in NYC and instead it was a tragic death. For that reason I think the cover is a bit of a mismatch with the book even though I really like the cover. (It even has the Penguin logo up in the Bronx on the subway map.) (Also i made a vow never to talk about cover design again but I’m breaking it just this once.)
A lot of what Higgins writes about is very up to the minute, and some has even gone stale by the publication date, for example that the US has suffered more COVID deaths per capita than any other country. (Currently it’s Perú but USA is still in the top 20.) I appreciate reading something so bleeding edge because I hardly ever do. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
The final page of the book explains the origin of the book’s title and how the author uses the dying word’s of a hero as her mantra to try to be more compassionate and loving and to recognize interconnectedness. I was a little taken aback when I read this, because the cover of the book is a great, funny New Yorker-style cartoon of a pre-covid NYC subway train (the artist is Ilya Millstein.) So I thought the title referred to life in NYC and instead it was a tragic death. For that reason I think the cover is a bit of a mismatch with the book even though I really like the cover. (It even has the Penguin logo up in the Bronx on the subway map.) (Also i made a vow never to talk about cover design again but I’m breaking it just this once.)
A lot of what Higgins writes about is very up to the minute, and some has even gone stale by the publication date, for example that the US has suffered more COVID deaths per capita than any other country. (Currently it’s Perú but USA is still in the top 20.) I appreciate reading something so bleeding edge because I hardly ever do. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
February 6, 2022
I love this for many reasons.
1. Essay format.
2. Maeve’s Irish accent
3. Her unique perspective about our American experience as an immigrant.
4. Her unbridled love for New York and America, despite very obvious flaws.
Finished this in one day. One minute you are laughing about her accidentally ingesting an exorbitant amount of weed-laced candy and then next you are crying about the way illegal immigrants are treated in this country (she lays blame on presidents of both political parties).
1. Essay format.
2. Maeve’s Irish accent
3. Her unique perspective about our American experience as an immigrant.
4. Her unbridled love for New York and America, despite very obvious flaws.
Finished this in one day. One minute you are laughing about her accidentally ingesting an exorbitant amount of weed-laced candy and then next you are crying about the way illegal immigrants are treated in this country (she lays blame on presidents of both political parties).
February 16, 2022
I’m almost 100% sure my neighbors now believe that I’ve completely lost my mind. The walls in our apartment building are (although not confirmed) 6 flattened Amazon prime boxes glued together (yay recycling) so they just had the pleasure, nay the honor - of hearing me talk to Maeve for about 4 hours.
This book was a friend for a wee while. Making me laugh, triggering my own memories of city experiences, making me cry, making me angry, teaching me things, confirming other things.
She has an uncanny ability. Her words are hers, her personality is vibrant, her humor - uproarious (sorry Apartment 3R) - and yet she leaves room for the reader. For their thoughts, for contemplation, for active questioning. Never with judgement, but through a series of gentle observations - paired with research - all the while underlying the imperfect, but hilarious hopefulness of just, people.
This book was a friend for a wee while. Making me laugh, triggering my own memories of city experiences, making me cry, making me angry, teaching me things, confirming other things.
She has an uncanny ability. Her words are hers, her personality is vibrant, her humor - uproarious (sorry Apartment 3R) - and yet she leaves room for the reader. For their thoughts, for contemplation, for active questioning. Never with judgement, but through a series of gentle observations - paired with research - all the while underlying the imperfect, but hilarious hopefulness of just, people.
January 4, 2024
I really liked this book. It was not at all what I was expecting when I started it, as I mostly saw it referred to as a humorous memoir. But this book is actually a reflective series of essays on the experience of an Irish woman who immigrated to America and her understanding of finding a home here in the midst of radicalized politics and the covid-19 pandemic and her own mental health struggles. I mostly agree with her politics, so the overly political nature of many of the essays didn't bother me, but I could imagine it would be frustrating if I didn't. I also saw some controversy about the title of this book referring to the final words of a man killed on a train in a hate crime. Well I don't claim authority to speak on how okay it is to claim those words as a book title, personally I thought the way Higgins handled telling his story and the quotes connectivity throughout all of the essays she shared was respectful and thought provoking. Overall I really enjoyed this, and really appreciated a different perspective than you usually hear on immigration in the US.
April 4, 2022
I adore Maeve Higgins, but this book felt like a Trojan horse. It started off with some amusing, personal essays, and then the remaining chapters were investigative journalism. I agree with her stances, but it just wasn’t what I was hoping for.
I also wondered, “How does she do so poorly on ‘Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me’ when she is actually this knowledgeable?!?!”
I also wondered, “How does she do so poorly on ‘Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me’ when she is actually this knowledgeable?!?!”
February 5, 2022
So urgently engaging and somehow comforting and correctly disturbing at the same time. Excellent opening: “My most fervent wish during the COVID-19 pandemic was twofold. One, that it end. Two, that it not impart any damn lessons.”
May 11, 2022
I don't understand why so many people decided they needed to write essay collections and *memoirs* about COVID/US racial politics/the climate crisis.
not-for-me
February 25, 2022Note: the lyrical title of this book directly quotes the last words of a young man killed by white supremacists in Portland OR a few years ago. Several of his friends are posting on social media that they are upset by his final words being co-opted for a humorous memoir. To them, it feels disrespectful of his memory. https://twitter.com/juliegrnchs/statu...
It’s unclear if the family gave permission for his words to be used as a title. Thus far, the author has not responded to his friends publicly on twitter, although she may done so in other ways.
It’s unclear if the family gave permission for his words to be used as a title. Thus far, the author has not responded to his friends publicly on twitter, although she may done so in other ways.
September 13, 2022
“Do you ever have a moment when you find yourself surprised at how content you are? Those moments tickle me because they are so unpredictable; I try to note them when they happen because when I string them together they really do leave me to a far more honest version of myself than me conscious kind will allow”
March 19, 2023
I love Maeve Higgins comedy. I entirely agree with her politically. There wasn't a single experience or observation in this book that didn't ring true to me. Unfortunately, somehow, it all came across on the audiobook as way too preachy. I was expecting her delivery to be more polished, since she is great when I hear her on podcasts and such, but she was just reading, reading what she'd written, very earnestly. I still love Maeve Higgins, but I won't be listening to any more of her audiobooks. I'll just have to get the paper versions and know not to expect humor in everything she delivers.
February 16, 2022
I loved this book even more than I thought I would. Maeve Higgins writes searing essays on her complicated love for America.
I deeply related to the essay about mental health struggles (though I have not yet accidentally ingested too many edibles. Luckily there is still time for me to make this mistake).
The other essays were informative, horrifying, hopeful and hilarious. In many cases they pushed me to think about things a little differently. Like, I did not know the origins of the term 'climate change' and am not at all surprised. The essay made me newly aware of my own role in the climate crisis, and the little and big changes I can make to stop my own contribution to these catastrophes.
As someone with personal connections to both Ireland and America, I was quite moved by the essay "'Misneach' and 'Rumors of War'" which starts with musings on two statues and then gallops down a road toward the Irish revolution, the struggle for equity that Black Americans continue to fight for, and the importance of facing history baldly. It tackles an important question of what to do with the ugliest parts of our history and gave me much to chew on. (Note: personal connections to Ireland and America not necessary to enjoy the content of this essay, but as someone with roots in both places it gave me quite a bit to chew on!!!) Highly recommend the whole book!!!!
I deeply related to the essay about mental health struggles (though I have not yet accidentally ingested too many edibles. Luckily there is still time for me to make this mistake).
The other essays were informative, horrifying, hopeful and hilarious. In many cases they pushed me to think about things a little differently. Like, I did not know the origins of the term 'climate change' and am not at all surprised. The essay made me newly aware of my own role in the climate crisis, and the little and big changes I can make to stop my own contribution to these catastrophes.
As someone with personal connections to both Ireland and America, I was quite moved by the essay "'Misneach' and 'Rumors of War'" which starts with musings on two statues and then gallops down a road toward the Irish revolution, the struggle for equity that Black Americans continue to fight for, and the importance of facing history baldly. It tackles an important question of what to do with the ugliest parts of our history and gave me much to chew on. (Note: personal connections to Ireland and America not necessary to enjoy the content of this essay, but as someone with roots in both places it gave me quite a bit to chew on!!!) Highly recommend the whole book!!!!
December 20, 2022
This book was absolutely not what I expected. I thought it would be a light and funny memoir, or at least essays about Maeve Higgins's life, and I was certainly not expecting journalism and a harsh look at immigration and white supremacy in the US. Once I made the mental switch and understood what I was reading, I enjoyed it immensely. It might not be a humorous book, but even in the print edition, I could hear Maeve's lilting Irish voice coming through in the prose. Definitely worth a read.
April 23, 2022
I wouldn't recommend the whole book, but I'd suggest reading the essay on mental health and the essay "death tax."
March 20, 2022
"Bad news and difficult conversations are reserved for phone calls and visits. The WhatsApp group is chatter to let us know the small stuff, to keep us company wherever we are. It's this small stuff, these wispy threads, that weave seamlessly into a fabric that stretches over the time and space between us."
"We had a good breakfast with great coffee and the kind of conversation I like best: one that veers healthily between meaningful and gossipy."
"I had decided when I turned thirty-five that reasonably half of my life was over and I had gotten away with it thus far, so it was illogical to think I'd be caught now. (By 'it' I meant existing largely the way I wanted to and not being forced to have babies or work as a manual laborer.)"
"I found I couldn't bear to watch acting onscreen either. That's how I got stuck living exclusively in the world around me, without a stage or a screen to escape to. I was happy that way, for a while. There was plenty to occupy me every time I opened my eyes or asked a question. This life is so wild, so mysterious, it's impossible to get to the bottom of it."
"The outside world can be too much, it just can. Being silly and being creative and trusting other goofballs doesn't solve anything, but when it's possible to create a little escape hatch, isn't it cruel not to?"
"I'm not objective, just as CPB is not, just as nobody is. I hope that having a point of view does not mean I cannot be fair."
"Another one is 'Name one example of an American innovation.' Voodoo-flavored Zapp's chips spring to mind, as does unearned confidence. However, neither is included in the list of acceptable answers. Instead: lightbulb, skyscrapers, and landing on the moon."
"All I know for sure is that everyone on the train was a stranger to him, but his last words were that he loved them. I try to hold on to those words. Love is an action: love is paying attention, love is a reckoning and a reconciliation with how the world really is. Somehow his words became a rule I made for myself: to try to better understand and accept this city of mine, to try to love everyone on this train."
"We had a good breakfast with great coffee and the kind of conversation I like best: one that veers healthily between meaningful and gossipy."
"I had decided when I turned thirty-five that reasonably half of my life was over and I had gotten away with it thus far, so it was illogical to think I'd be caught now. (By 'it' I meant existing largely the way I wanted to and not being forced to have babies or work as a manual laborer.)"
"I found I couldn't bear to watch acting onscreen either. That's how I got stuck living exclusively in the world around me, without a stage or a screen to escape to. I was happy that way, for a while. There was plenty to occupy me every time I opened my eyes or asked a question. This life is so wild, so mysterious, it's impossible to get to the bottom of it."
"The outside world can be too much, it just can. Being silly and being creative and trusting other goofballs doesn't solve anything, but when it's possible to create a little escape hatch, isn't it cruel not to?"
"I'm not objective, just as CPB is not, just as nobody is. I hope that having a point of view does not mean I cannot be fair."
"Another one is 'Name one example of an American innovation.' Voodoo-flavored Zapp's chips spring to mind, as does unearned confidence. However, neither is included in the list of acceptable answers. Instead: lightbulb, skyscrapers, and landing on the moon."
"All I know for sure is that everyone on the train was a stranger to him, but his last words were that he loved them. I try to hold on to those words. Love is an action: love is paying attention, love is a reckoning and a reconciliation with how the world really is. Somehow his words became a rule I made for myself: to try to better understand and accept this city of mine, to try to love everyone on this train."
November 12, 2022
I’m a huge fan of Maeve from WWDTM— I also listened to her interview about this book on “How to Be a Better Human,” so I was super excited to get this book. I was sorely disappointed.
First— I want to address all the people giving 1 stars although they haven’t read it— can you not? I think Jordan Peterson is a prick but don’t go around bitching about books or his I haven’t read in the comments. It’s completely unfair to both the author and future readers.
Second, perhaps my disappointment in the book comes slightly from what others noted— I didn’t understand the format of the book beforehand. It is a collection of essays, and they’re not really humorous. Which is quite unexpected from a comedian (I also don’t recall them exploring the format in the podcast I listened to).
HOWEVER— the reason the book only get 2 stars from me: there are new novel views or thoughts in this book. It essentially regurgitates the toxic views of the American left (of which I would consider myself a part of… if it wasn’t from my podcast selection) that “anybody that doesn’t agree with me is racist and evil”. I’m also not completely convinced all the ‘facts’ of this book are truthful— the “10 companies are responsible for global warming” trope/saying is so tired (and blatantly misrepresentative of reality) at this point that anyone that uses it I usually disregard as out of touch.
Another reader mentioned that the first chapter (about Maeve’s personal mental health) and the first bit of the last chapter (re: 90 day fiancé) were good and I would agree those were the only 2 readable parts of the book.
I’m going to a live WWDTM show this year, and honestly I’m so dissatisfied with this book, I’ll feel a bit conflicted if Maeve is on the panel.
First— I want to address all the people giving 1 stars although they haven’t read it— can you not? I think Jordan Peterson is a prick but don’t go around bitching about books or his I haven’t read in the comments. It’s completely unfair to both the author and future readers.
Second, perhaps my disappointment in the book comes slightly from what others noted— I didn’t understand the format of the book beforehand. It is a collection of essays, and they’re not really humorous. Which is quite unexpected from a comedian (I also don’t recall them exploring the format in the podcast I listened to).
HOWEVER— the reason the book only get 2 stars from me: there are new novel views or thoughts in this book. It essentially regurgitates the toxic views of the American left (of which I would consider myself a part of… if it wasn’t from my podcast selection) that “anybody that doesn’t agree with me is racist and evil”. I’m also not completely convinced all the ‘facts’ of this book are truthful— the “10 companies are responsible for global warming” trope/saying is so tired (and blatantly misrepresentative of reality) at this point that anyone that uses it I usually disregard as out of touch.
Another reader mentioned that the first chapter (about Maeve’s personal mental health) and the first bit of the last chapter (re: 90 day fiancé) were good and I would agree those were the only 2 readable parts of the book.
I’m going to a live WWDTM show this year, and honestly I’m so dissatisfied with this book, I’ll feel a bit conflicted if Maeve is on the panel.
June 7, 2022
The early essays in this small book are light and fun, including the one about the writer acting in a low-budget horror movie called Extra Ordinary, which is worth watching. Then the essays turn dark, exposing some fundamental bleakness in the United States, including policies around our southern border. There is joy in these essays, but it's the darkness that stays with me. And I will continue to enjoy the author's appearances on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on NPR. :)
March 14, 2022
This is a pleasant group of essays written by an Irish comedian. Seeing America from an outsider's point of view is always interesting and often insightful. She covers a wide range of topics and is easy to read. I imagine that most people will enjoy the time spent with her.
September 15, 2022
Essay on Richmond gave me more insight on a stranger’s view about our statues that are no more. Book is of this time.
December 12, 2025
a pleasant read, especially the parts on new york city (last essay). awkwardly performative à la 2020-21 wokeness at time, but still overall an optimistic experience
June 1, 2023
Probably more like a 3.5 stars. Not at all what I thought given the comparisons to Sedaris. His stories are more funny and irreverent whereas Higgins are more deep in her reflections on Americas false sense of exceptionalism.
June 15, 2022
Enjoyed one or two of the essays but got irritated with the rest.
April 17, 2025
A collection of very thoughful essays. I enjoyed the humor and insight she provided.
March 11, 2022
Maeve Huggins has been one of my favorite comedians for years, so much so that I often forget that at her essence she is a brilliant writer. This book not only emphasized her humorous side, but her inquisitive and compassionate sides as well. She puts herself in any number of situations not to judge, but to learn and I admire her for that.
I listened to this book as an audiobook, not my usual preferred format, but a must to appreciate her first hand experiences and perfectly lovely Irish accent.
I listened to this book as international tensions increased real time and Russia invaded Ukraine.
I listened to “Situational Awareness”
and thought about how the US works so hard to keep others out while Poland and other neighboring nations opened their arms and homes to fleeing Ukrainians. On social media, I saw pictures of strollers left by Polish mothers at train stations to help Ukrainian mothers upon their arrival. At the same time, I listened to Maeve share her experience at a convention to honor Border Patrol agents in Texas where guns were lined up for sale. European nations are doing everything they can to ensure the safety of Ukrainian women and children while Maeve shared the heartbreaking story of Miriam Estefany Giron Luna.
In “New York, No Fair,” I listened to Maeve explore Brighton Beach and experience the Russian immigrant culture. My thoughts immediately went to Asian Americans who have been victims of hate crimes and discrimination because of COVID-19. I fear the same for Russian Americans who have lived their whole lives here in the US, but have the crime of a Russian heritage.
On lighter note, I was completely charmed and in hysterics over “Bubbles and Planks,” as I have had nearly an identical experience. I so empathize with Maeve and those tricky yummy treats.
The book left feeling like I had just had a deep conversation with a dear old friend, one that I would happily host for Thanksgiving dinner, but without pilgrim hats and Indian feathers!
I listened to this book as an audiobook, not my usual preferred format, but a must to appreciate her first hand experiences and perfectly lovely Irish accent.
I listened to this book as international tensions increased real time and Russia invaded Ukraine.
I listened to “Situational Awareness”
and thought about how the US works so hard to keep others out while Poland and other neighboring nations opened their arms and homes to fleeing Ukrainians. On social media, I saw pictures of strollers left by Polish mothers at train stations to help Ukrainian mothers upon their arrival. At the same time, I listened to Maeve share her experience at a convention to honor Border Patrol agents in Texas where guns were lined up for sale. European nations are doing everything they can to ensure the safety of Ukrainian women and children while Maeve shared the heartbreaking story of Miriam Estefany Giron Luna.
In “New York, No Fair,” I listened to Maeve explore Brighton Beach and experience the Russian immigrant culture. My thoughts immediately went to Asian Americans who have been victims of hate crimes and discrimination because of COVID-19. I fear the same for Russian Americans who have lived their whole lives here in the US, but have the crime of a Russian heritage.
On lighter note, I was completely charmed and in hysterics over “Bubbles and Planks,” as I have had nearly an identical experience. I so empathize with Maeve and those tricky yummy treats.
The book left feeling like I had just had a deep conversation with a dear old friend, one that I would happily host for Thanksgiving dinner, but without pilgrim hats and Indian feathers!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
While not all of the essays are funny and not all of them work, Higgins has written a new take on the outsider in the US but the more interesting essays revolve around her mental health. Some of the pieces grate a bit and are condescending but I'll leave it to others to comment on those. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. I wasn't familiar with Higgins before this. I suspect her fans will welcome this collection.
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