Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America

A touching four-year chronicle of five girls coming of age in impoverished rural Maine and learning to forge their own paths through life’s struggles.

“Remarkably poignant and timely . . . should be read by anyone who cares to understand rural America’s human tragedies and heroic triumphs.” —John J. Dilulio, Jr.

Nestled 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’s home. Based on four years of intimate reporting, Downeast follows their journeys of heartbreak and hope in uncertain times, creating a nuanced and unique portrait of small-town life with women at its center. It crafts a powerful and optimistic counternarrative to the dominant downbeat stories about rural America as a place of hopelessness and despair.

All 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, resilience in the face of hurdles, reverence for nature’s rule, dignity in cracked hands and muddied shoes, and the enduring power of home.

“A remarkable book. . . . Downeast is important, arresting, and engrossing.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times–bestselling author

“It’s almost impossible not to care about these fierce young women and cheer for their hard-won successes.” —Kirkus Reviews

“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

© 2021 Harper (Audiobook): 9780063097742
© 2024 Harper (Ebook): 9780062984470

Release date

Audiobook: 25 May 2021
Ebook: 19 March 2024