Maeve Higgins was a bestselling memoirist and comedian in Ireland when, at the grand old age of thirty-one, she left the only home she’d ever known in search of something more. 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 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.