Wildland

More about the book

After a decade abroad, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Evan Osnos returns to three places he has lived in the U.S.—Greenwich, CT; Clarksburg, WV; and Chicago, IL—to explore the roots of America’s political turmoil. Having reported from the Middle East and served as the Beijing bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune, Osnos often advocated for America while overseas, emphasizing its foundational principles. However, upon returning in 2013, he discovered these ideals under siege. In search of answers to the crisis that peaked in 2020—a year marked by a pandemic, civil unrest, and political strife—Osnos chronicles the experiences of ordinary individuals in these three locales over six years. He examines the rightward shift of the financial elite in Greenwich, the decline of social infrastructure in Clarksburg, and the effects of segregation and violence in Chicago. The narrative reveals that the true state of the nation lies not in political slogans but in the intricate details of individual lives and their connections. This dramatic exploration of seismic changes in American politics and culture spans two decades, framed by the September 11 attacks and the January 6 Capitol storming. By following everyday Americans, Osnos sheds light on how we lost the moral confidence to view ourselves as more than the sum of our parts.