Going to Maine

Overview

From comedian Sally Chaffin Brooks comes a memoir about the thing she can't seem to shut up about— her life changing thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

25-year-old Sally has no reason to upend her comfortable, conventional life to spend 5 months hiking the Appalachian Trail; no reason except that her charismatic best friend, Erin, asked her to come along. A woefully out-of-shape Sally quickly realizes she may not actually be prepared for the realities of thru-hiking— brutal weather, wrong turns, and painful blisters have her wanting to quit almost as soon as she starts. But out of loyalty to Erin, or maybe the sinking realization that her life needed upending, Sally sticks it out. As she and Erin trek from Georgia to Maine, they collect a ragtag band of hikers and together stumble from one hilarious (and sometimes scary) predicament to another. By the time she reaches Maine— accompanied by Erin, their crew, and a guy she's maybe (definitely) falling in love with— readers will cheer for the stronger, more self-assured Sally that has emerged and wish they could start the laugh-out-loud, life-affirming adventure all over again.

Reviews

"[A] funny and endearing debut...couch potatoes and devoted hikers alike will find entertainment and inspiration here." — Publisher's Weekly

"Going to Maine is a captivating adventure memoir full of heart and genuine fun." — Independent Book Review

"[Brooks] carves out her very own space for a memoir about hiking the Appalachian Trail that's perfectly her...the whole book was just so fun to read." - Literary Quicksand

"Going to Maine is the perfect mix of heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny, and with this book, Sally Chaffin Brooks establishes herself as a stand-out writer you'll want to follow anywhere." 
—Bobcat Goldthwait, Director and Comedian

"Fast, smart, and funny as all hell... it's a bounce from laugh to laugh with just the right measure of pause to let it sink in before getting into the meat of the next joke." — Showbiz Monkeys Brooks Was Here, released December 2015, Blonde Medicine  

"NYC-based comic Sally Brooks unleashes a relentless wit on her debut album." — Pandora Radio 

"[Sally Brooks] is one of the hardest working comics in the business." — The Laugh Button 

"[Brooks] is a rising star."  — Axs.com 

“Going to Maine is the perfect mix of heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny, and with this book, Sally Chaffin Brooks establishes herself as a stand-out writer you’ll want to follow anywhere.” — Bobcat Goldthwait, Director and Comedian

Author Biography

Sally Chaffin Brooks is a writer, stand-up comedian, and podcaster. A reformed lawyer, Sally has released two chart-topping comedy albums (Brooks Was Here, Street Bird) and co-hosts the comedy podcasts The Ridiculist and Dumb Love. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son, and heads to the mountains as often as possible. Going to Maine is her first book.