Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

The Weekly Read

The kind of book that makes you squirm: Review of Evicted by Matthew Desmond

Some books need to come with a warning. Or a caution. Like, “Do not read this book if you want to be comfortable” or “Warning: Book may make you squirm.”

evictedEvicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond is not a beach read or an entertaining tale. In fact, just looking at the book is intimidating. A 400-page hardcover with 50 pages of end notes is nothing to take lightly. Then again, neither is housing insecurity. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my review.)

Desmond’s book shines a light on a housing problem that gets little to no attention: eviction. And though thoroughly researched and at times, academic, the book tells stories of real people living in substandard housing conditions in Milwaukee. Desmond frames their stories with facts and context, and the result is a book that is sometimes hard to read but one that tells a necessary story and offers a practical response.

Although the stories in Evicted take place in an urban setting, the causes and circumstances are not unique only to large cities, nor is it only a big-city problem.

What I appreciate most about the book is that it not only shows us the problem but calls us out to take action. I think some of my favorite words in the whole book are these:

Whatever our way out of this mess, one thing is certain. This degree of inequality, this withdrawal of opportunity, this cold denial of basic needs, this endorsement of pointless suffering–by no American value is this situation justified. No moral code or ethical principle, no piece of scripture or holy teaching, can be summoned to defend what we have allowed our country to become. (p. 313)

Desmond argues that providing secure housing for those who are most vulnerable to eviction is a key component to reducing the effect of other social issues.

… a good home can serve as the sturdiest of footholds. When people have a place to live, they become better parents, workers and citizens. (p. 295)

We have affirmed provision in old age, twelve years of education, and basic nutrition to be the right of every citizen because we have recognized that human dignity depends on the fulfillment of these fundamental human needs. And it is hard to argue that housing is not a fundamental human need. Decent, affordable housing should be a basic right for everybody in this country. The reason is simple: without stable shelter, everything else falls apart. (p. 300)

Some of the living conditions Desmond describes are heartbreaking and shocking. Apartments without working appliances, clogged toilets, no running water going unrepaired for a variety of reasons. And to be fair, Desmond’s research includes talking with and shadowing landlords. He acknowledges that they have rights, too.

There are two freedoms at odds with each other: the freedom to profit from rents and the freedom to live in a safe and affordable home. (p. 308)

I’ve never been a landlord, but we’ve been renters for years. We know some of the difficulties of finding affordable housing and dedicating a large percentage of our income to rent. This book probably won’t be popular with landlords, even good ones. I know people who own property who have been left with property damages and issues as a result of tenants’ actions. Evicted doesn’t offer excuses for situations like these, but it does illustrate how problems compound when housing becomes insecure. And it offers hope for change and evidence of a turnaround in one tenant’s life because of secure housing.

As a former journalist, I’m impressed by Desmond’s research and how he embedded himself in the culture of Milwaukee’s urban poor. Although he says in the end notes that he is not meant to be the star of this work. In the telling, he fades into the background. But what he sees, hears and experiences is valuable for us all.

You might read Evicted and hate it. I actually hope it disgusts you at least a little bit. Because it shows us some ugly things about the way we treat each other. But I also hope it opens your mind a little to how you can be part of the solution.

You can find out more about the author here. And to learn more about how you can help families avoid eviction and get back on their feet, visit www.justshelter.org.

Love lost and found: Review of Change of Heart by Courtney Walsh

You might remember that I took a break from reading fiction for Lent, and that whole time, this wonderful book by Courtney Walsh sat on my desk asking me “When? When will you read me?”

change of heartSo, I broke my fiction fast with Change of Heart, and could not walk away from the story of Evelyn Brandt and Trevor Whitney, old friends who reconnect after Evelyn’s world falls apart. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my review.)

The wife of a Colorado state senator, Evelyn’s life is full of parties and commitments to the public, orchestrated by her husband and his plans for political stature. He controls how she dresses, how she spends her time, who she spends time with, all in the name of public perception. It has slowly eaten away at Evelyn’s sense of identity, something she doesn’t realize until FBI agents show up at her house and inform her that her husband has been embezzling money for years.

When her friends abandon her, Evelyn finds an unlikely ally in her old friend Trevor “Whit” Whitney, who runs a farm outside of town. Whit whisks her away to his guest house so she can assess her circumstances privately, but her presence on his farm is the last thing he wants. Their friendship ended years earlier when Evelyn married Christopher, but Trevor’s feelings for her are reignited, though he’s tried to douse them all this time.

It’s a story of first love and second chances and reclaiming the identities we so often lose to other people’s perceptions.

I could relate to Evelyn, who thought her circumstances unfair because she had done everything right, everything she was supposed to, and her world still came crashing down around her. And I was drawn to Trevor’s battle to maintain honor as he wrestled with his feelings for Evelyn and the losses he had suffered through the years. Both characters seek to recover something they’ve lost, and Walsh writes their journeys in page-turning fashion.

Change of Heart is set in the same romance-obsessed town of Loves Park as her previous novel, Paper Hearts, and while certain characters are the same, the story itself could be read on its own. (But you really should read Paper Hearts, too, because it’s a sigh-worthy romance!) There are scenes reminiscent of Steel Magnolias as a group of women rally around Evelyn in support, and though I’ve never seen an episode of The Good Wife, the political scandal angle of the book reminded of what we often see on TV drama.

It all comes to a satisfying conclusion, though you’ll momentarily curse the author for the twists and turns. One of my favorite things about Walsh’s writing is that she doesn’t create fluffy circumstances for her characters to walk through. She puts them through hard times and forces hard questions to be answered, and challenges readers to a better, fuller life in Christ.

Also, there’s a really cute book trailer for this novel. Check it out. And then read the book. And rediscover the power of unconditional love.