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Podcast: Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast
Episode: High Hopes and Thunder Road: Ann Abel on Bruce Springsteen, Depression, and a Life‑Changing Australia Tour
Description: Jesse Jackson welcomes back author **Ann Abel**, whose memoir *High Hopes* Jesse calls one of his favorite reads of 2025.
Abel—who discovered Bruce Springsteen at age 59—shares the extraordinary story behind her book: how a lifetime of severe depression, the loss of her teaching career, and a desperate need for structure pushed her to book a solo trip to Australia for **eight Springsteen shows across five cities in 26 days**. What began as an escape from “the abyss” became a journey of fear, resilience, connection, and unexpected joy.
Ann recounts:
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