Much of the book is shaped around Linda May, a 65-year-old grandmother who lives in a small trailer she tows with a totaled-and-salvaged Jeep Grand Cherokee. They reject the term “homeless,” instead calling themselves “houseless,” owning “wheel estate.” Far from loners, they have created community. Bruder is struck by their resiliency and humor. So they’ve become nomads, finding temporary work during the sugar beet harvest in North Dakota, or in Amazon fulfillment centers, or as campground hosts. But most simply have lost, for reasons over which they had no control. Losers? Sure, some have made bad decisions. Then they downsized, still fell behind and finally realized that their earlier lives cannot be reclaimed. Rationalizations such as these are what make “Nomadland” such a compelling look at a weirdly camouflaged swath of society that’s more entwined around us than we realize.Īuthor Jessica Bruder, a professor at the Columbia School of Journalism, immersed herself among those who move between seasonal jobs at a time when they’d imagined contemplating retirement, but life went haywire.Ĭhange often began with a job layoff. If you’re in a city but you live in a van, or a trailer, or a tent, you are considered homeless.īut if you’re in the desert or the forest, you’re camping.
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