Fifteen funny and perceptive essays about one woman’s messy path to finding her footing in another country, by Irish comedian, author, actor and podcaster Maeve Higgins.

Maeve Higgins was already a bestselling author and comedian in Ireland when, at the grand age of thirty-one, she left the only home sheʼd ever known in search of something more. Several years on, these essays form a smart, warm and revealing story of how Maeve found herself, literally and figuratively, in New York City.

Here are stories of learning to live with yourself while youʼre still figuring out how to love yourself, of not being able to afford a dress for the ball and of the true significance of realising what sort of shelter dog you would be. Self-aware and full of her signature banter, Maeve in America is also a fearless exploration of some of todayʼs most urgent concerns: identity, migration, politics and activism.

Maeve Higgins is an absolute legend, but she’s modest about it. A contributing writer for The New York Times and co-host of the Mothers of Invention podcast with Mary Robinson, she is a comedian who has performed all over the world, including her native Cobh, Melbourne, and Erbil. She starred in the award-winning film Extra Ordinary, released in 2019 to critical acclaim, and her RTÉ show Fancy Vittles remains a cult favourite.