Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation by John Freeman

Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation Reviews

• 
  Karyl

  As a white woman, this book isn't all that easy to read. I do know I have privilege beyond belief, that I am not followed in stores because of my skin tone, that my kids don't have to fear being shot by police for the slimmest of reasons. I realize that but for a decision here or there made differently, I have a comfortable home and food on my table, instead of losing my home to foreclosure or becoming a drug addict.
  
  But even though it is difficult to read, because why challenge the comfort of my own life, I feel this is a book that all Americans should read. We are such a diverse nation, coming from so many different countries with so many different experiences, that you cannot point to one person and say, "THAT is what it means to be an American."
  
  Lately we've been such a divided nation as well. It's easier to stay in an echo chamber, surrounded by people who say and think the same way we do. White people are afraid that they will soon be a minority in this country -- but WHY? What difference does it make what color skin the majority of our nation will have? Yes, I realize it's because for the first time, whites will have to endure the same inequalities that brown-skinned folks have always dealt with. But this book shows us that we can and must do better, that we must level the playing field so that all Americans can have access to the ability to make their lives better.
  
  I'd like this book to be required reading in high school, either in English or in civics class, across America, but especially in wealthy white enclaves.
• 
  Jan Priddy

  "All you have to do is give a little bit of understanding to the possibility that life might not have been fair." from Ann Patchett
  
  Deeply moving. I might have skimmed 20 pages of this collection. There are mostly essays, but stories and poems and a couple of graphics. Some works I did not care for, but most I found moving and wise. Tears came now and again. I was reminded of things I already knew and was taught things I had never imagined.
  
  "When white elite take an interest in the food poor people eat, the price goes up. The result is a cost that prohibits poor people from eating the very food they've been condemned for eating. It happened with tuna years ago." Chris Offutt [this one I felt]
  
  "Imagínate, I said to my mother one morning near exhaustion, to be so broken after all that hard work, and to end up like this.
  
  "We all work, my mother said. All work is hard." Manuel Muñoz
  
  These writers are concerned about bigotry toward and the unacknowledged disadvantages experienced by poor people, undocumented people, brown and black people in the United States. Eula Biss considers debt as a moral concept. Karen Russell finds compassion for the homeless in Portland, Oregon. Dagoberto Gilb traces the unlikely story of his success. Anthony Doerr rethinks doing the right thing, the safe and responsible thing. Joyce Carol Oates is not the only writer to use fiction to tell truth. Larry Watson considers he might be "full of shit" with his nostalgia about his childhood community keeping up without showing anyone up.
  
  Some of us get to step ahead, some risk stepping forward, and some of us choose to walk away from Omelas.
  
  "As [Rachel] Dolezal surrendered her position in the NAACP and lost her teaching job*, I thought of white police officers who had killed black men and kept their jobs. That the penalty for disowning whiteness appears to be more severe than the penalty for killing a black person says something about what our culture holds dear." Eula Biss
  
  *Neither of her positions lost when her parents outed her had been gained as a result of race. A famous white man can afford to become a woman, but I found it telling that the knee-jerk reaction of many white people was to call Dolezal "crazy" for passing as Black.
• 
  Sharon Orlopp

  Thought provoking, eye opening, poignant stories by 36 authors about inequality, privilege, community, systemic discrimination, police brutality, immigration, and race. Stories have the power to move people to action and this book is filled with incredibly moving journeys.
  
  John Freeman edited the book and provides the Introduction; key takeaways from Freeman include:
  * This is a call to basic kindness; to see, listen, and help each other
  * America is broken; we have shattered our compact with citizens
  * Inequality stretches to almost unthinkable gulfs
  * We have created a precariat society; where people work part-time, temporary jobs without benefits and don't have any security net
  * We need a new framework for writing and discussing inequality
  * Many young people need to leave the town/city they grew up in to find job opportunities
  * We need to create a bandwidth of care
  
  Some of the stories that stood out for me include:
  * Rebecca Solnit's description of Alex Nieto's murder in the neighborhood he lived in for his entire life. A person walking in a neighborhood park called 911. The police who responded pumped 59 bullets into 28 year-old Nieto who was unarmed and the area surrounding him. Fourteen of the bullets ripped through Nieto's head and body. The police officers were acquitted. Gentrification of neighborhoods can be fatal.
  
  * Sandra Cisneros illustrates the desperation and fear of immigrants trying to fit into Chicago and fire department ladders too short to reach high rise buildings in communities that aren't worth saving.
  
  * Richard Russo memorably describes the difference between losing your job versus losing your work (when entire industries disappear). Oftentimes when you lose work, you lose your dignity and your identity. You're a nobody. You don't matter.
  
  There are many, many more stories, poems, and personal testimonials in this treasure that describes what life is like in an unequal, divided America.
  
  Strongly recommend.
  
  
• 
  Emily

  America is divided. That is easy enough to see everyday on the news. What isn't always easy to see are the stories behind the divisions and the how the thing we may be railing against is actual life for our fellow citizens. I picked up this book because I read Kiese Laymon's book How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America on race divisions in the US. It was an excellent read and as he has a piece of this anthology I felt it would be a good next step. I was not disappointed. This anthology mostly covers stories and poems about class, socioeconomic, and racial inequalities in the United States. Some stories are told from the outside looking in, while a few are told from the outsiders perspective. I found the stories intriguing and will probably follow up with many of these authors' other works.
  
  I would love to see another anthology in the same vein, with the inclusion of stories about the religious, cultural, LGBTQ+, and gender inequalities in the US.
• 
  Iva

  The subtitle says it all. This is a strong collection of mostly non-fiction personal experiences. Some authors are well-known, i.e. Joyce Carol Oates, Roxane Gay, Sandra Cisneros, Timothy Egan. There are a few poems and short stories as well. My favorites were:
  an essay about a man found parked in his driveway by Anthony Doerr; a southerner, Brad Watson remembers how his black maid/nanny was treated and underpaid by his parents; Larry Watson reflects on how an integrated neighborhood in the 50's changed. Definitely a book for these troubling times.
• 
  Jenny Leitsch

  I loved this book but hated reading it. Does that make any sense? The picture it painted of modern America is a bleak one (not that I argue with it), so it wasn’t a book to plow through for pleasure. That said, I loved the diversity of topics, genres, and geography as well as the compelling voices for change and compassion. My favorite pieces were (big surprise) the narrative nonfiction. “Trash Food,” “White Debt,” and “Worthless Servant” were particular favorites.
• 
  Laura

  This is a fast read full of poignant stories and poems about Americans who suffer because of poverty. It gives a glimpse of poverty that is usually hidden from Americans who live a comfortable life.
• 
  Debbie Pearson cox

  This book made me cringe at times because I am white and privileged. The individual stories from many different people around the country point out how difficult life is for those who are less fortunate. There is a very informative essay about the housing crisis in Portland, Or. that we natives will find interesting. A good book that reminds me that life is not easy for so many people. It also made me feel somewhat helpless. What can I do? In some cases not much. This is an important read.
• 
  *Dawn

  Short story collection which places you in the shoes of a variety of Americans. If you have a heart and an open mind, it should teach you something about humanity and about being humane. Let's be better, folks.
• 
  Alexis Braun

  It's always hard to review collections of stories or essays, because it's inevitable that you'll like some and not others. And that's the case with Tales of Two Americas. There were essays I LOVED: 'Death by Gentrification' by Rebecca Solnit, 'Notes of a Native Daughter' by Sandra Cisneros, 'American Work' by Richard Russo, 'To the Man Asleep in Our Driveway Who Might Be Named Phil" by Anthony Doerr, and 'La Ciudad Magica' by Patricia Engel. There were short stories I loved: 'Dosas' by Edwidge Danticat and 'How' by Roxanne Gay. There were poems I loved: 'i'm sick of pretending to give a shit about what whypeepo think' by Danez Smith and 'American Arithmetic' by Natalie Diaz. There was even an excerpt from a graphic novel that I might have to pick up ('Invisible Wounds' by Jess Ruliffson). There were pieces to love in this book, but there were also quite a few that didn't resonate with me at all or that I didn't feel meshed well with the collection as a whole. But, ultimately, I found it to be a collection of mostly good works of non-fiction, fiction, and poetry, on a timely topic. We read it for book club, and it was without a doubt a conversation starter.
• 
  Martha Chudy

  I’m not sure I have been in the right headspace for this anthology. It’s relatively short, but it took me weeks to read. Something about the format was disorienting. I found myself enjoying the essays more than the short stories, though I was spellbound by Nami Mun’s “Apartment 1G.” There are important lessons to learn here. I was grateful to have read essays by Richard Russo, Eula Biss, Hector Tobar, Patricia Engel and Ann Patchett. And I will surely use Natalie Diaz’s “American Arithmetic” in the classroom.
  
  I wish I could say that I understand Trump voters better now (I think the man himself was only mentioned once in the whole collection) and maybe I do a little. I am moved by how broken we are as a country—that we cannot (or more aptly, do not take the necessary steps to) offer people the means to mobility. It’s a compassionate book to be sure, and I liked discovering authors I hadn’t read before.
• 
  Beth

  I thought this was really well done. Sandra Cisneros describes growing up poor in Chicago, Edwidge Danticat tells a story from the perspective of an immigrant home health aide, and Karen Russell investigates the homelessness crisis in Portland. Julia Alvarez examines the impact of class when a flight is cancelled, Roxane Gay depicts a woman finally escaping her troubled past, and Sarah Smarsh talks about her brother donating plasma for money. Enough to Lose, by RS Deeran, describes a job mowing lawns at foreclosed homes, and Ann Patchett’s essay describes a day spent in Nashville with Charlie Strobel ministering to the homeless. Other contributors include Chris Offutt, Timothy Egan, Joyce Carol Oates, and Richard Russo.
• 
  Jillian Doherty

  More developed than short stories, yet shorter than novellas; these essays chronicle cultures in which our country doesn't always want to focus on. The first story feels like an episode from The Wire, followed by a Haitian drama and their family's inner workings. From anecdotes of immigrants and minorities, the everyday families trying to keep their lives moving forward.
  
  Some stories speak of seeking out hope through the darkness, while others shed light on diverse struggles or cultures while working to survive in the shadows.
  
  Collaboratively they share a honed and needed voice of the human experiences; this collection is as important as it is timely.
• 
  Merin

  As with any anthology/collection of stories, there are some hits and some misses in Tales of Two Americas. That being said, I found this book full of stories that are eye-opening in their own ways. It's easy to forget exactly what others in this country are dealing with on a daily basis as we move through our own lives (and our own issues). It was a good reminder that life is not actually all about me and mine. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to hear different perspectives on this thing we call life.
• 
  Ivan Carbajal

  A collection of stories that really hit to the heart of what it’s like to live in America. At times that means systemic injustice, the curiosities of community, or coming to terms with your sexuality. This book had some really great highlights, such as “Death by Gentrification”, “Dosas”, Fieldwork”, and”How”. Highly recommended to those who like “in the life of” stories.
• 
  Raluca

  I genuinely can't remember if I've ever reviewed an anthology without using that much-beloved "mixed bag" cliché. Not the case here. While, of course, some pieces hit me harder than others, I really liked every single essay, story and poem. Very well done, and very well put together. You should read it.
  
• 
  Kawai

  Timely, eclectic, thought-provoking. It’s an anthology with a purpose, to mine the inequality that is the ever-present reality of America. So many good pieces in here, from Claire Vaye Watkins to Kristin Valdez Quade to a million others. Well worth it.
• 
  Karin

  A mostly solid collection of poetry, short story, and essay around the theme of the title. I admit, I couldn't connect with all the material and tie it back to the theme. Two essays in particular stood out--Kiese Laymon's on academia, and Eula Biss's on white debt.
• 
  Vincent Scarpa

  Lots of really great stuff in here, but the stand-outs for me were two wonderful essays — one from Karen Russell, one from Claire Vaye Watkins — and a magnificent new Joy story.
  
• 
  Jennifer

  An impressive and important collection. White debt resonated particularly and all of the fiction was quite good.
• 
  Ariela

  This is an important read. Some of the stories were better than others, duh.
• 
  Colette

  A must read. It is not easy to read about our divided nation, at times. However, I gained something from every one of these stories by such gifted authors.
• 
  Lauren Millard

  This was really an interesting read. I have so much in my life to be grateful for. There is so much that happens in this country that is easy to ignore or turn a blind eye to. This has given me stuff to think about.
  
  
  I will say the downside of listening to an anthology like this, I get really invested in a story and then it switched to something else. I do wish there was a clearer transition between writers in the audiobook version. I found myself rewinding a bit when it would switch from a story to a poem.
• 
  Bookaholic

  There were some brilliant gems in this essay/short story collection, namely:
  
  - "Death by Gentrification" by Rebecca Solnit. This first essay was the best written & the most gripping essay in the entire collection. I am thankful to this anthology for introducing me to this author.
  - "Trash Food" by Chris Offutt--makes one reconsider calling others names such as "white trash/redneck" etc. Powerful stuff.
  - "Mobility" by Julia Alvarez--this was my first introduction to this brilliant author; I will read anything, I mean ANYTHING she writes/wrote next. Luckily, I already own one of her books.
  - "Youth From Every Quarter" by Kirstin Valdez Qaude--such as sad, sad story; it is also eye-opening to the beneath the surface racism & discrimination that happens in our schools.
  - "White Debt" by Eula Biss. What an eloquent, insightful, and wise author. Beautiful & timely essay.
  - "Blood Brother" by Sarah Smarsh--disturbing, morbid & painful. Also, very perceptive & educational.
  - "Hillsides and Flatlands" by Hector Tobar--heartbreaking reflections on parenthood and the dangers of blatant racism.
  - "Looking for a Home" by Karen Russell--I am so glad that this anthology had introduced me to another great author; this essay highlights "the issue" of homelessness in Portland, Oregon. Sad & moving, and oh, so timely.
  
  Roxane Gay's story was entertaining & intriguing, however, I am not sure if it added anything to this book's theme. Perhaps in another anthology, maybe one with short stories, it would fit right in. But here? I did not catch a relevant meaning.
  
  Finally, I did not read every single essay in this book. I have started some, but they were so boring, that I had to skip them. The last essay that I started to read was "Happy" by Brad Watson. In this essay, the author complains that his African-American babysitter was not paid adequately by his mother while calling her a "maid" the entire time. Err, a maid's primary role does not entail babysitting children. Maids clean hotel rooms, rich people's houses. I found this word to be strikingly demeaning (my mother worked as a babysitter for the majority of her adult life and was usually treated as "family," not as a "servant"--and yes, she did clean and cook and did laundry as well.) I found it quite amusing to see the unspoken parallel between this author's trying to portray himself as a "good guy" while speaking of his "maid" in such condescending tone. Needless to say, I did not finish his essay.
  
  P.S. I went back to the book and uncovered three more final gems:
  - "Apartment 1G" by Nami Mun--a gripping short story about an immigrant Korean family.
  - "La Ciudad Magica" by Patrica Engel, highlighting the plight of Latin-American people in Miami, Florida.
  - "American Arithmetic" by Natalie Diaz--a short yet piercing poem about police treatment and violence against Native Americans.
• 
  Molly

  This was a quick, pleasant palate cleanser book. It worked very well as an anthology--it was really interesting to have essays, memoir, reporting, short stories, poetry, and even a comic gathered together, and the theme of American inequality felt broad enough to encompass them all but tight enough to cohere. The only chapter that made me roll my eyes was "American Work" by Richard Russo, which isn't bad in a collection of 36. My favorites were "White Debt" by Eula Biss, "Mobility" by Julia Alvarez, "Some Houses (Various Stages of Dissolve)" by Claire Vaye Watkins, "How" by Roxane Gay, "Looking for a Home" by Karen Russell, and "La Ciudad Mágica" by Patricia Engel.