First published 2013
Charlie LeDuff traded his Pulitzer Prize and New York Times career to return to Detroit, where his family's tragedies mirror the city's destruction. His mother's flower shop was firebombed. His sister fell into addiction. His brother cleans Chinese screws in a factory so they can be sold as American made. LeDuff embeds with fire crews battling arson and corruption while investigating the politicians and officials who profit from Detroit's decline. He follows the money trails and befriends the union organizers, homeless advocates, and homeowners who refuse to abandon their neighborhoods. Detroit transformed from America's richest city into its poorest, from the symbol of industrial might into the capital of unemployment and foreclosure. Vacant lots now cover an area the size of San Francisco and Manhattan combined. LeDuff reveals that Detroit's fall previews America's future. The city led the nation's rise and now leads its descent. Through steel-eyed reporting and native son fury, he uncovers a story of greed, endurance, and the strangest people America produces.
Genres: american, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: gritty, social-commentary
Setting: Detroit
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Hardcover · The Penguin Press
Content warnings: addiction