The Book
Downeast honors the lives of five remarkable young women, and through them, the paths of young women across rural America. It shines a light, too often obscured, on the indispensable role contemporary rural women play in their communities.
More broadly, Downeast seeks to move beyond the conventional narrative about rural hopelessness and despair, of a local populace clambering to escape. By widening my lens and immersing myself in the Downeast community, what I discovered runs counter to those dominant downbeat portrayals—and debunks the notion that young people, in particular, have to flee to succeed. Yes, there are significant challenges. But there is also much to celebrate.
Downeast is also a recognition of the transcendent power of rootedness. As Americans, we rightly cherish our mobility—especially our ability to traverse freely across our nation’s vast terrain. Yet mobility without rootedness, without meaningful and longstanding connections to those around us, can prompt emptiness and a yearning for something more. This recognition moves beyond questions of rural versus urban; it extends to the relationships we establish with those around us, the degree to which we nurture them, and the ways our interactions foster strong social capital and not merely individual but community-based resilience. It leaves us to ponder the deeper truth of Dorothy’s well-worn adage, that ultimately, “there’s no place like home.”
"In this remarkable book, Gigi Georges explores the lives of five girls in rural Maine over four years. She catalogs their dreams, longings, and awakenings with sensitivity and tact, revealing both nuanced aspects of character and larger points about the complicated world in which these girls live. Downeast is important, arresting, and engrossing.”
— Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Praise for Downeast
“A heartfelt portrait of five teenage girls growing up in Maine’s remote and economically depressed Washington County . . . . Enriched by the author’s love of the area and deep admiration for her subjects, this is a worthy tribute to a group of stalwart young women committed to forging their own paths.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A resonant, beautiful book. The pull of place, the imprint of place on these girls and on all of us is done so well . . . Downeast is a powerful example of the edifying quality of small-town America, and a counter-narrative to the negative stories we hear. It is also empowering to girls—refreshing and so needed.”
— Susan Conley, author of Elsey Come Home and Landslide
“An empathetic, observant account of five young women trying to chart their path in rural Maine, and a moving exploration of individuals who want to both transcend and honor their roots in an economy and culture that often overlook girls and women. Georges does the opposite by rigorously adhering to their perspectives, so that we see their world, their choices, and their strength, through their own eyes.” —Amy Waldman, author of A Door in the Earth and The Submission
“Well-researched and compelling . . . a celebration of hard work rewarded and family connections cherished. It is not in any way saccharine, but it is a welcome dose of positivity in a troubled time.” — Portland Press Herald
"Each of these stories reflects the extreme challenges of life in poor, rural America . . . . It’s almost impossible not to care about these fierce young women and cheer for their hard-won successes." — Kirkus Reviews
"Georges respects the region's families and way of life that instill generational grit and a self-sufficient work ethic, even as she explores tragedies and dark spots in its community soul. Her characterization of Downeast is thus nostalgic without being sentimental, empathetic without being patronizing . . . Georges’ lovely book will appeal to readers seeking memoirs, understanding of rural worlds, feminist values, or even travel writing."
— Booklist
“Downeast is a fascinating read. It will capture the imaginations of those who have never set foot in Washington County, to be sure, but it will also ring familiar to those who have never left it. Growing up is hard; what this book does so well is illustrate the specific difficulties of doing so in this place and time. An insightful, incisive work of nonfiction that celebrates five special young women and the ways of their world.” — Allen Adams, The Maine Edge
“This remarkably poignant and timely book should be read by anyone who cares to understand rural America's human tragedies and heroic triumphs. Through the gripping sagas of five young women, Georges not only unsparingly documents rural poverty, joblessness, and opioid addiction, but details how so many people in the rural community have nonetheless kept right on coping, hoping, and caring for each other through grit, goodness, and faith in God. Here is the whole truth about America's rural towns and cities.” — John J. DiIulio, Jr., Frederic Fox Leadership Professor of Politics, Religion, and Civil Society, University of Pennsylvania
Where to Buy Downeast
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