“Convictions and prejudices of the left and right all fall before this meticulously researched book; it will become a classic account of the lives of the American poor.”
“Masterful…What’s startling is the gripping read DeParle provides along the way—an alchemy wrought by the fusion of his encyclopedic knowledge with his mischievous prose.”
About the Book
Bill Clinton’s drive to ``end welfare’’ sent nine million women and children streaming from the rolls. In this masterful work, New York Times reporter and two-time Pulitzer finalist Jason DeParle cuts between the mean streets of Milwaukee and the corridors of Washington to produce the definitive account. As improbable as fiction, and equally fast-paced, this classic of literary journalism has captured the acclaim of the Left and Right.
At the heart of the story are three cousins, inseparable at the start but launched on differing arcs. Leaving welfare, Angie puts her heart in her work. Jewell bets on an imprisoned man. Opal guards a tragic secret that threatens her kids and her life. DeParle traces back their family story six generations to slavery and weaves poor people, politicians, reformers, and rogues into a spellbinding epic.
At times the very idea of America seemed on trial: we live in a country that likes to believe anyone can make it, yet generation after generation some families don’t. To read American Dream is to understand why.
“This is a book that will break your heart and open your mind. American Dream is the Les Miserables of our day.”
“Riveting…like a searing novel of urban realism—Theodore Dreiser comes to Milwaukee.”
“Transcends journalism…and challenges the nation.”
“Convictions and prejudices of the left and right all fall before this meticulously researched book; it will become a classic account of the lives of the American poor.”