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ehmannky's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
A look at the systemic forces (Christianity, rugged American individualism mindsets, conservatism, sexism, poverty) that combine together to leave rural and predominantly white communities with a mix of even more intense poverty, social stratification and despair using the auhtors’ life and her childhood best friends’ life as a case study. She doesn’t use it to excuse her hometown or rural America (if anything I found her to be critical to the point that I found it odd that she did willingly return to her hometown)—she’s pretty upfront about the fact that many of these issues are self-inflicted and that her community and many like them are willing to co-sign themselves to poverty in order to keep a sense of superiority. She contrasts her life (she left her hometown for decades) with that of her childhood best friend (who stayed in Clinton and spiraled). It’s an interesting contrast to say the least. I suppose what kept it being a 5 star for me is that it was SO bleak that although Potts would mention that as an adult she grew to appreciate parts of her hometown she doesn’t ever actual say what exactly those things are.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, and Child abuse
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