Based on four years of rigorous and intimate reporting, “Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America” follows five young women coming of age in Washington County, ME, one of the most challenging and geographically isolated regions on the Eastern seaboard and an illuminating microcosm of the changing rural landscape across America.  Through the largely overlooked experiences and ambitions of these young rural women, she finds a reality that is surprisingly optimistic, hopeful, and progressive.

Nestled in Maine’s far northeast corner, Washington County is an hour’s drive and a world away from famed Acadia National Park. For Willow, Vivian, Mckenna, Audrey, and Josie—teenage girls caught between tradition and transformation in this remote region—it’s home. Willow 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. 

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 they 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.

Revealed through the eyes of Willow, Vivian, Mckenna, Audrey, and Josie, “Downeast” is a vital addition to the national conversation on—and understanding of—modern-day rural America, with women at its center. Georges brings her considerable career in politics, public service, and academia to bear in this revelatory examination of life in our small towns, and what lies ahead for these individuals and their communities.

This event will be in-person with a streaming option.