Description

Monster of a Land: On the Road in Search of Modern America

by Lauren Hough
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9780593686629

What does America look like from the driver’s seat of a beat-up van?

In Monster of a Land, bestselling author Lauren Hough sets out on a cross-country journey inspired by John Steinbeck’s classic Travels with Charley, but with a distinctly twenty-first-century perspective. Armed with a refurbished 2001 Dodge van, her beloved Husky mix Woody, and a sharp eye for the contradictions of modern life, Hough embarks on a road trip designed to answer a simple question: what does America look like now?

For years, the trip remained a dream deferred by financial realities, demanding jobs, and everyday survival. When the opportunity finally arrives, Hough seizes it, traveling across the country and meeting people from every imaginable background, belief system, and political viewpoint.

As a lesbian, Air Force veteran, and someone who has often lived on society’s margins, Hough brings a unique perspective to the road. With Woody serving as the perfect icebreaker, conversations unfold in diners, gas stations, repair shops, bars, and roadside stops across America. Through these encounters, she explores issues of class, identity, belonging, poverty, politics, and what it means to be seen as an outsider in contemporary America.

Combining travel writing, memoir, social commentary, and cultural observation, Hough delivers a portrait of a nation that is complex, divided, resilient, and deeply human.

By turns hilarious, moving, insightful, and provocative, Monster of a Land is a powerful exploration of modern America from one of today’s most distinctive nonfiction voices.