Nomadland by Jessica Bruder-a True Story About Middle Class Survivors in 21Century America

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not sure if it was the subject matter or the author's style but found it easiest to read this book in short servings--it seemed repetitive and padded at times, therefore, slow-moving. Still, the basic story of people who are either at traditional retirement age or close to it finding it impossible to stop working and survive is both disheartening and on some level, scary. Most of the people, vandwellers, whose stories Ms Bruder told, either as a one off encounter or a continuing saga, have worked all their lives and either did not make enough money to save, or didn't have a pension, or were laid off and unable to find new employment. They found themselves losing their homes to forclosure, if they owned a home, or used up all their savings as they searched for work and incurred more and more debt. As a final resort they have rid themselves of most of their possessions, found a portable home of some sort, and cut back drastically on expenditures. They travel from place to place picking up part-time low paying jobs, seasonally. They work in Amazon's Fulfillment Centers, campgrounds, Walmarts, concession stands and park the trailer, gutted out car or schoolbus, in parking lots, vacant lots, residential streets.

There are Facebook pages, blogs, websites etc that help to keep them informed about life on the road. Friendships are made at gathering spots such as Quartzsite, Arizona where an annual rendezvous occurs. And, of course, there is email and texting. Many are singles traveling the world alone though many do have families--siblings, parents, children --with whom they do not live, wanting to be independent and not a burden. They forge their own temporary communities and look forward to meeting up again in the future--they call themselves vamilies.

It is amazing to read the physical and mental strength of these people , some of whom are in their 70's and 80's. They do not consider themselves homeless but rather houseless and better off financially for it. They fall somewhere above impoverished and middle class and most have gotten there out of the diminishing middle class. The chasm between the affluent and poor is rapidly growing and the middle class is rapidly disappearing. Laws are being enacted throughout the country to impede the lifestyle of the vandweller and this begs the question, what will become of them??

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