With the United States so divided, it is essential to hear views
that differ from our own. Sarah
Smarsh’s Heartland is such
a book. Subtitled “A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in
the Richest Country on Earth”, the author tackles the plight of the rural
poor. As a fifth-generation child of
Kansas wheat farmers, she illustrates the hard work of farming and the toll
that poverty visits on families.
Much as Hillbilly Elegy opened eyes to the troubles
of the Appalachian poor, Heartland urges both respect and
sympathy for those living off the land. She
identifies the lack of medical care, teen pregnancies and abusive relationships
that prevented her family from “getting ahead” and achieving the American
Dream.
Click here to check our catalog.
BB
