MADreads

Stuck in the middle with you

June 25th, 2008 Sarah - Alicia Ashman

Here in the Midwest, that is, where, as Garrison Keillor would say about Lake Wobegon, “the women are strong, the men are handsome, and all the children are above average.”

We may have all that going for us, but a different view of the Midwest and the coming economic and social challenges it will face in the next few years is presented in Richard Longworth’s Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism.  Longworth shares the details of his recent travels around the Midwest (including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and the northern halves of Illinois and Indiana), relating grim stories of small towns that are dying and cities once made great by manufacturing that are now crumbling.

It’s a thoughtful book, although I can’t really call it a light read.  Particularly eye-opening (for me, at least) were the chapters in which Longworth spoke with town mayors and leaders who admitted that people in their communities struggled to accept immigration–while they also admitted that their immigrant populations were helping to keep their towns more alive and vibrant than most.

Sure, the coasts might be more exciting.  Mountain regions more scenic.  But for me?  Give me the Midwest any day. Unless, of course, we have any more winters like the last one… 

Editor’s Note:  I’m sad to say that this will be the last of Sarah’s reviews.  She has left the building and moved on to bigger and brighter things - though what could be better then this little blog is a puzzler.  All of us MADreviewers and readers will miss her and we wish her very, very well.

Entry Filed under: Nonfiction