Book Review: Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder

  

 

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder 

Love the tribute to Leonard Cohen, his words matter.

Story is about Linda and she's now over 60 and on the road traveling from one location to another while finding short term work.

She had raised two girls and had even moved in with them at one point but they downsized and no rom for her. She lives in her modified van and works seasonal  jobs in America, heading to warmer climates in the winter, AZ where rent is cheap and she likes the job of tending to the campsites and facilities.

She has many friends and people she runs into yearly and has a wealth of helpful information about jobs, that either she's done or knows other who have done them. 

Depression sets in when you are forced to work OT but are only paid for 8 hours and when you are told it will be 40 hours a week and lucky to get 20. You can't pay bills with lower money, never mind survive.

I had watched a movie about this woman on TV and although you can't hear her thoughts you can see her actions.

I would be terrified to live the life on the road, never knowing who was going to rob you, abuse you or kill you. With pandemic I feel things have gotten worse and its everybody for themselves out there.

Raised from a frugal mother who could cook a meal and feed others not in their immediate family they joke about the lack of hamburger in the spaghetti dinner.

Love the idea of the earth ship and how you grow food in the house and you do not need any utilities hooked up, the house sustain itself.

Book is so much more entertaining, giving you the history of living in vans, rv's etc like the Okies in grapes of wrath (love this mention) traveling to areas they could survive in.

Like how others have agreed to pitch in to help her with the adventure and living off the land.

Love hearing how she progresses with her dreams, plans and her earth ship.  Wonder how it turned out.....

Love how smart she is and always listening to others on how they would do things, like building a water plant, using rain for crops, etc.

Travel, learning new things, way of the world  when you live on the roads and public lands, fears of trafficking drugs, how to make ends meet.

I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).