“High Hopes tells a rapturous story. If Bruce has taught us nothing else, it’s that ‘it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.’ Abel takes that lesson deeply to heart, and her book reaffirms it for us. It is a true inspiration.”
—Anthony DeCurtis, Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone

“High Hopes traces the story of one woman’s unexpected journey to Australia at the age of 60, and a series of life-changing insights she could never have imagined. With the Boss’s humanism and boundless energy as her guide, Abel discovers a renewed sense of self in the wake of years of depression. A story of inspiration and rediscovery, High Hopes is the perfect tonic for our troubled age.”
—Kenneth Womack, author of Bruce Songs and John Lennon 1980

“Anne Abel’s solo journey, at the age of 60, to the other side of the world to follow Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is an extraordinary Bruce story. With bracing honesty, Abel immerses readers in the challenges of ill health and complicated relationships, as well as the joys of fandom and community, all of which help her realize her gifts as an observer, storyteller, and critic.”
—Daniel Cavicchi, author of Tramps Like Us

“Anne Abel, sixty years old, is a survivor of severe depression. She finds the route to emotional healing through Bruce Springsteen: eight concerts, twenty-six days, in Australia! A solo traveler, she displays enormous courage and perseverance on the road to her own empowerment. She turns her doubt and hesitation into a travelogue of faith and commitment as she slogs through the days, becoming stronger and more determined in each concert venue. High Hopes is an authentic, gripping, heartfelt read. If you’re new to Anne Abel and/or Bruce Springsteen, you’ll come away as a fan of both!”
—Jane Seskin, LCSW, author of Older, Wiser, Shorter: The Truth and Humor of Life After 65

“Anne Abel’s memoir began as a winning story at a Moth StorySLAM in Chicago. It tells the story of how this sixty-year-old woman who hates to travel and hates to be alone put her hopes on this trip. Anne did not go to Australia to change. She went to Australia for distraction and structure. She also hoped that harnessing some of Bruce Springsteen’s energy would keep her out of the abyss. But, twenty-six days, five cities and eight concerts later, much to her surprise, she came home a different person. This story is a lyrical account of the resilience of the human spirit. It shows how Anne’s gritty determination, tempered by an open mind and an open heart, enabled her to find her long-silenced voice.”
—Lee Ann Gullie, Director of Development, The Moth

“Anne’s psychological and physical journey, and the validation she felt through her experience of the Springsteen concerts and her time on the road, was a very fitting example of what many women in our study spoke of as seeing Springsteen as a therapist, teacher, or guide… You don’t have to be a psychologist to appreciate the journey, as the book is written for all fans.”
—Lorraine Mangione, coauthor of Mary Climbs In: The Journeys of Bruce Springsteen’s Women Fans

“Central to her journey, and her memoir, is a candid exploration of her lifelong struggle with depression and the ways in which becoming a Springsteen fan fuels her healing. Many aspects of her story are unique—not least her sudden discovery of popular music in late midlife—but the meaning, inspiration, solace, and joy she finds in Springsteen’s music and performances will resonate with many longtime fans.”
—Donna Luff, coauthor of Mary Climbs In: The Journeys of Bruce Springsteen’s Women Fans

“While not everyone with treatment resistant depression will benefit from concerts or travel, the model Anne provides has wide-ranging application: Find what makes you happy and do that. Find what gives you positive energy and guard that energy against people—even if they happen to be your closest friends or nearest relatives. Do not give up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other until you find your path. . . . Anne cleverly replicates some of the healing elements of an inpatient treatment program: structure, positive conversations with strangers, and time for personal reflection. One of the things that lifts this book out of the predicable genre of self-help is the spirit of fun that sets in once Anne joins the worldwide cadre of Springsteen fans, after learning at the age of 60, that such a thing exists. What could be more therapeutic than a community of people enjoying the energizing Springsteen music? . . . The pervasive message is of hope, love and connection. And, of course, fun. The reader of High Hopes gets to share this experience with Anne as she brings it to life with her words. The reader may even find that their mood uplifts along with Anne’s as they see, hear, and feel the world as she experiences it.”
—Jeanne Gemmill Griffin, PhD

“What a pleasure to accompany Anne Abel in this beautiful journey of personal growth as she shares the saga of growing a new identity and freeing her soul by summoning the courage to say ‘yes’ to one bold thing. It all started with a Bruce Springsteen concert when she was fifty-nine—the first rock concert she’d ever attended. Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder is a beast that ruins many lives. After conventional therapies failed her, Abel was led by her intuition to shake up her neurobiology in a way that ECT and cognitive therapy did not. She immersed herself in the infectious energy and joy she found by visiting Australia and attending eight Springsteen concerts in twenty-six days. . . . There’s a message for all of us here: Never be afraid to have new experiences. Sometimes, the best way to change our internal world is to be bold and take steps to change our outer world. It’s also a testament to the power of art to open hearts and minds and free the soul.”
—P. Shavaun Scott, LMFT, author of The Minds of Mass Killers and Game Addiction