First published 2026
Peter Santenello picks up his camera and sets out to explore the America he never knew existed. After years documenting eighty-five countries abroad, this independent journalist realizes his own backyard holds the most mysteries. He shares porches with Amish snowbirds in Florida and searches for reindeer alongside Siberian Yupik communities in Alaska. He accepts dinner invitations in Louisiana bayou houseboats and walks the streets of East LA. Each encounter reveals stories the mainstream media misses or distorts. From Appalachian towns to urban neighborhoods, Santenello discovers a nation far more complex than the divided country portrayed in headlines. His journey becomes an intimate portrait of Americans who want to be heard and understood. Through road trips, chance meetings, and shared meals in strangers' homes, he finds people willing to listen and connect across differences. The book captures the resilience and humanity that define communities across the United States, revealing a country where similarities outweigh divisions.
Genres: travel, american, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, americana
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, road-trip
Setting: Alaska, Appalachia, East LA, Florida, Louisiana
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster