Nomadland

This audiobook explores a subculture of Americans who have taken to life on the road in response to financial stress. Don't call them homeless, though; these nomads, most of them victims of the disappearing middle class, prefer "houseless." Author Jessica Bruder immersed herself in their world for three years and reports in depth on the positives and negatives of such a lifestyle. Karen White's narration is capable, if a little mechanical. She doesn't hit as many emotional beats as one would expect with a story that is, at its heart, about people struggling for survival. The overall result is still a fine piece of journalism--but one that doesn't fully capture its own humanist spirit. A.T.N. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine