Hard Living in America's Heartland ─ Rural Poverty in the 21st Century Midwest

D<’a>il begins this somber book with a personal story of her relatives who were unable to be buried on their land according to their wishes, due to the need to sell their land in the Midwest, and her consequent interest in the farming/ranching lifestyle and rural poverty. In her introduction, she expands the picture of rural poverty to shed light on the structural factors making it extremely difficult for farmers and ranchers to remain financially solvent. The body of the book takes a broad Midwestern view, unlike many local studies on the topic, and shows maps of counties with the highest poverty rates. The first chapter discusses difficulties in reconciling urban poverty definitions with rural poverty studies. Historical perspectives on the Midwest and how land became so important to rural America follow, as well as demographics of farming states and the complexities of surviving in a farm economy, and the 21st-century state of Midwestern America. The second half of the book describes the community life, health care, crime, and education factors of the rural poor, and ends with bold claims about the causes of poverty and how to help the rural poor moving forward. Appendices specify research methodologies, distinctive features of various Midwest states, and entitlement availabilities. Annotation c2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Research professor emerita Paula vW. Dail has spent more than 25 years researching poverty. An award-winning writer, she lives in the Lower Wisconsin River valley of southwest Wisconsin.