This collection of essays focuses on small towns and rural areas that are typically stereotyped. This book shows us that generalizations really can’t be made like we think they can. The book was a bit disparately put together and lacked a unifier, but all together a worthwhile read.

I received an advance digital review copy of this book from Tiller Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Midland is a collection of articles by local journalists focused on small towns, rural areas, and demographics often overlooked or subject to sweeping generalizations. These writers seek to push back against these soundbytes by offering deeper nuanced looks into personal stories. The most compelling essays in the collection were those that directly engaged with political polarization in the age of Trump, seeking to move the conversation from politics to a focus on shared humanity. The collection could be strengthened by some additional editing and the addition of an afterword that draws together more concretely some common substantive themes.

"Midland" by Michael Croley and Jack Shuler is largely a series of essays about the people, places, and events that are often not discussed or possibly misrepresented in the news. The introduction to the essays and the description of the book state that these are stories that take place in the middle of the country, but some of these stories take place in areas like Detroit and southern Texas. There were several essays in here that I found really thought-provoking, such as the essays on child farm workers and the Arkansas dollar store opening. Overall though, I found that many of the essays ended abruptly, and I struggled to find a unifying theme consistent with the title, introduction, and description of the book.