Hey, it's NPR's book of the day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. I don't think I'm stepping out of any,

you know, journalistic bounds by saying that this country can be frustrating, right? That's not all

that out there. But then you talk to an immigrant, someone who's choosing to be here, someone who's more

than likely jumping through a whole lot

of hoops to be in this country, and it's refreshing in a way. Not to be corny, but it's a reminder

of what this country aspires to be. Today's interview is with writer Maeve Higgins. Her essay

collection, Tell Everyone on This Train, I love them, is an examination of this country

from her outsider's perspective. She's Irish, and she has this interesting and complex talk

with NPR's Tamara Keith about class, American exceptionalism, and oddly enough, the show 90-day

fiance. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.

On our new show, Sources and Methods.

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Day.

Writer Maeve Higgins begins her new book with her two wishes about the pandemic.

One, that it would end.

And two, that it wouldn't impart any lessons. That dark humor sets the tone for

her collection of essays called, Tell everyone on this train, I love them. So I think being serious

is very necessary when we're alive in a moment like today. But I think being funny is just as

necessary. In her book, Higgins, who is a

...