And Then We Grew Up
A journey through the many ways to live an artistic life—from the flashy and famous to the quiet and steady—full of unexpected insights about creativity and contentment, from the author of The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost.
Rachel Friedman was a serious violist as a kid. She quit music in college but never stopped fantasizing about what her life might be like if she had never put down her bow. Years later, a freelance writer in New York, she again finds herself struggling with her fantasy of an artist’s life versus its much more complicated reality. In search of answers, she decides to track down her childhood friends from the prestigious Interlochen Arts Camp-- aspiring actors, artists, dancers, and musicians--to find out how their early creative ambitions have translated into adult careers, relationships, and identities.
Rachel’s conversations with these men and women spark nuanced revelations about creativity and being an artist: that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, that success isn’t always linear, that sometimes it’s okay to quit. And Then We Grew Up is for anyone who has given up a childhood dream and wondered “what-if?”, for those who have aspired to do what they love and had doubts along the way, and for all whose careers fall somewhere between emerging and established. Warm, whip-smart, and insightful, it offers inspiration for finding creative fulfillment wherever we end up in life.
AVAILABLE DECEMBER 31, 2019
The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost
Rachel Friedman has always been the consummate good girl who does well in school and plays it safe, so the college grad surprises no one more than herself when, on a whim (and in an effort to escape impending life decisions), she buys a ticket to Ireland, a place she has never visited.
There she forms an unlikely bond with a free-spirited Australian girl, a born adventurer who spurs Rachel on to a yearlong odyssey that takes her to three continents, fills her life with newfound friends, and gives birth to a previously unrealized passion for adventure.
As her journey takes her to Australia and South America, Rachel discovers and embraces her love of travel and unlocks more truths about herself than she ever realized she was seeking. Along the way, the erstwhile good girl finally learns to do something she’s never done before: simply live for the moment.
AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE INDIEBOUND
BOOKS-A-MILLION iBOOKS
PRAISE FOR THE GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO GETTING LOST
“Friedman deftly moves from musings on family to specifics about working abroad to first-rate travelogue about the places she visited, striking just the right balance between personal and universal.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Friedman’s coming-of-age memoir captures the excitement (and bewilderment) of testing out life’s possibilities on the far side of the world. You’ll laugh and empathize as you get lost with her.”
— Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding
“Curious, candid, energetic, and witty, Rachel Friedman is the ideal travel mate, and her sense of humor makes every page of this book a pleasure to read . . . beautifully written and engrossing.”
— Colleen Kinder, author of Delaying the Real World
“Teeming with warmth, The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost is a wonderful read for anyone who wants to travel, misses traveling, or has ever entertained thoughts of dropping everything to go explore new territory. With humor and honesty, Rachel Friedman beautifully captures the pitfalls and exhilaration of backpacking, ultimately reminding us that our world is an infinitely fascinating and (mostly) open-hearted place. Please read this funny, insightful, adventurer’s book.”
— Rebecca Barry, author of Later, at the Bar
11 Literary Journeys That Will Make You Crave An Adventure Of Your Own — Bustle
9 Inspiring Books to Pack in Your Suitcase — PopSugar
15 Books Every Recent College Grad Needs on Their Shelf — Brit+Co
13 Books to Read If You Love ‘Eat Pray Love’ — BookBub
13 Memoirs By Millennials That Prove You’re Never Too Young To Tell Your Story — Bustle
Rachel’s Writing Appears In…
