First published 2020
In their small Oregon hometown, Nicholas Kristof's childhood friends have been ravaged by drugs, suicide, and reckless accidents. But amidst the wreckage, stories of resilience emerge - like Annette Dove, who devotes her life to guiding Pine Bluff's at-risk youth, and Daniel McDowell, a Baltimore man who overcomes opioid addiction. Through these intimate portraits, Kristof illuminates the forgotten heart of working-class America, revealing both the depths of its struggles and the possibility of redemption.
Genres: sociology, social-issues, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: forgotten-communities, redemption, resilience
Setting: Oregon
320 pages · Paperback · Vintage
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, suicide