{"product_id":"downeast-five-maine-girls-and-the-unseen-story-of-rural-america-isbn-9780062984449","title":"Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eDowneast\u003c\/i\u003e, Gigi Georges follows five girls as they come of age in one of the most challenging and geographically isolated regions on the Eastern seaboard. Their stories reveal surprising truths about rural America and offer hope for its future. “It’s almost impossible not to care about these fierce young women and cheer for their hard-won successes” (\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e) in this “heartfelt portrait” and “worthy tribute” (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNestled in Maine’s far northeast corner, Washington County sits an hour’s drive from the heart of famed and bustling Acadia National Park. Yet it’s a world away. For Willow, Vivian, Mckenna, Audrey, and Josie—five teenage girls caught between tradition and transformation in this remote region—it is home. This collection of small town stories follows their journeys of heartbreak and hope in uncertain times, creating a nuanced and unique portrait of rural America with women at its center.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWillow lives in the shadow of an abusive, drug-addicted father and searches for stability through photography and love. Vivian, a gifted writer, feels stifled by her church and town, and struggles to break free without severing family ties. Mckenna is a softball pitching phenom whose passion is the lobster-fishing she learned at her father’s knee. Audrey is a beloved high school basketball star who earns a coveted college scholarship but questions her chosen path. Josie, a Yale-bound valedictorian, is determined to take the world by storm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll five girls know the pain and joy of life in a region whose rugged beauty and stoicism mask dwindling populations, vanishing job opportunities, and pervasive opioid addiction. As the girls reach adulthood, they discover that despite significant challenges, there is much to celebrate in “the valley of the overlooked.” Their stories remind us of the value of timeless ideals: strength of family and community, reverence for nature’s rule, dignity in cracked hands and muddied shoes, and the enduring power of home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRevealed through the eyes of Willow, Vivian, Mckenna, Audrey, and Josie, \u003ci\u003eDowneast\u003c\/i\u003e is based on four years of intimate reporting. The result is a beautifully rendered, emotionally startling, and vital book that delivers compelling social commentary. \u003ci\u003eDowneast\u003c\/i\u003e will break readers’ hearts yet offer them hope, providing answers to what the future may hold for rural America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis powerful work of narrative nonfiction is a must-read for anyone interested in the challenges and triumphs of modern rural life, exploring themes of:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eComing of Age in Rural America:\u003c\/b\u003e Follow five young women—Willow, Vivian, Mckenna, Audrey, and Josie—as they navigate the path to adulthood, caught between cherished traditions and the need for transformation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eIntimate Journalistic Reporting:\u003c\/b\u003e Based on four years of immersive reporting, this book offers a beautifully rendered and emotionally startling portrait of a region often overlooked.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWomen at the Center:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover a nuanced and unique perspective on American life, focusing on the journeys of heartbreak and hope experienced by the girls and women of Washington County.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Enduring Power of Home:\u003c\/b\u003e Explore timeless ideals like the strength of family, the dignity of hard work, and deep reverence for nature in a community facing dwindling populations and vanishing job opportunities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmy Waldman, author of A Door in the Earth and The Submission\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.”   - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn J. DiIulio, Jr., Frederic Fox Leadership Professor of Politics, Religion, and Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"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.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"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.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A resonant, beautiful book. The pull of place, the imprint of place on these girls and on all of us is done so well . . . \u003cem\u003eDowneast \u003c\/em\u003eis 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.”   - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSusan Conley, author of Elsey Come Home and Landslide\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"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\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eworld in which these girls live. \u003cem\u003eDowneast\u003c\/em\u003e is important, arresting, and engrossing.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePortland Press Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889690341605,"sku":"NP9780062984449","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062984449.jpg?v=1730231754","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/downeast-five-maine-girls-and-the-unseen-story-of-rural-america-isbn-9780062984449","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}