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Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century (Audio CD) (Unabridged)
Nomadland Surviving America in the TwentyFirst Century - Audio CD - Unabridged Author:Jessica Bruder, Karen White (Narrator) The end of retirement? — From the beet fields of North Dakota to the National Forest campgrounds of California to Amazon’s CamperForce program in Texas, employers have discovered a new, low-cost labor pool, made up largely of transient older Americans. Finding that social security comes up short, often underwater on mortgages, these invisib... more »le casualties of the Great Recession have taken to the road by the tens of thousands in late-model RVs, travel trailers, and vans, forming a growing community of nomads: migrant laborers who call themselves “workampers.”
On frequently traveled routes between seasonal jobs, Jessica Bruder meets people from all walks of life: a former professor, a McDonald’s vice president, a minister, a college administrator, and a motorcycle cop, among many othersâincluding her irrepressible protagonist, a onetime cocktail waitress, Home Depot clerk, and general contractor named Linda May.
In a secondhand vehicle she christens “Van Halen,” Bruder hits the road to get to know her subjects more intimately. Accompanying Linda May and others from campground toilet cleaning to warehouse product scanning to desert reunions, then moving on to the dangerous work of beet harvesting, Bruder tells a compelling, eye-opening tale of the dark underbelly of the American economyâone that foreshadows the precarious future that may await many more of us. At the same time, she celebrates the exceptional resilience and creativity of these quintessential Americans who have given up ordinary rootedness to survive. Like Linda May, who dreams of finding land on which to build her own sustainable “Earthship” home, they have not given up hope.
The book gives accounts of senior adults, now houseless, and how they eke out a living while traveling the US. The Amazon Camper Force accounts really opened my eyes. There but for the grace of God....
Kevin R. (kcrouth) - , reviewed Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century (Audio CD) (Unabridged) on
modern day nomads
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First CenturyNomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century is an intimate look into a growing group of folks who are houseless rather than homeless. For many different reasons, these folks have decided that their best option is to pare down their physical possessions to just the essentials and hit the road full time. For most of these folks, they found themselves excluded from the system that provides income, food, shelter, and possessions we take for granted. Instead of giving up, they have resiliently redefined their lives, traveling in search of work, and embracing a minimalist lifestyle. The author embeds herself in this story, camping, working, and writing with these folks for several years, in order to go deep beneath a superficiality and passing view of their lives. This is a great work of journalism, and conveys the depth and richness of the lives and family of these modern day nomads. It is concerning as the author explores the changes in our culture that remove life options from these folks. It truth, most of us are just a few unfortunate circumstances from having our options similarly changed. In our hyper-capitalistic culture, we will see this nomadic lifestyle become even more common. I am looking forward to going back to watch the film based on this book again, with clear and fresh context.
I've been waiting to read or listen to this book for awhile.
The narrator is very good and it is a fascinating book to listen to. I hope to watch the film and see if it is as good.
Suzanne J. (09suzij) - 
