November 8, 2021
Irish comedian Higgins (Maeve in America) reveals her serious side in this probing if uneven reflection on such contemporary concerns as pandemic isolation, racism, police brutality, and climate change. In “Misneach and Rumors of War,” Higgins visits the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Va., after becoming perplexed by American conservatism, and compares debates over removing the statue to the IRA’s destruction of Irish monuments. In “Situational Awareness,” she visits the 2020 Border Security Expo in San Antonio, Tex., where “tequila flowed” and “suited men with buzz cuts” were “clapping each other on the back,” while “Bubbles and Planks” sees her stoned on cannabis-laced chocolates, after which she interrogates a chocolatier: “I want to know about consciousness and whether or not my mind is all I am.... Is that too much to ask some guy in a kitchen mixing weed with lychee fruit juice and vegan gelatin alternatives?” Along the way, she offers scattershot reflections on her battle with mental illness, the ups and downs of her career, and her credit card debt (“I owed Chase thousands of truly unnecessary dollars because my credit card had a mind of her own!”). Higgins is an accomplished writer, but there’s a hodgepodge feeling to this collection that saps the energy from it. Readers unacquainted with Higgins’s work may struggle to get on board.
June 1, 2022
Higgins, a relative newcomer to the U.S. from Ireland, is an actor, comedian, and cohost of the climate podcast Mothers of Invention. Her essay collection explores a variety of topics befitting Higgins's nature--curious with a dash of adventure. Higgins is seriously funny, but she is so much more than that. Essays about taking down Civil War figures in Richmond, VA, are informed by the history of the Irish Republican Army and the destruction of things. She discusses climate change, immigration, and mental illness not solely for laughs, and mentions loneliness during the pandemic, far from her family. Deeply in love with her two homes, Higgins has an insightful perspective. She's the perfect narrator for her audiobook, where her performance background is on display as she puts everything in context. VERDICT Listeners will be disappointed if they are looking for straight humor; recommended for fans of memoirs.--Christa Van Herreweghe
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