Poverty shapes a life long before you understand its name.
In Heartland, Sarah Smarsh traces her Kansas childhood across wheat fields, trailer homes, and unstable jobs, revealing the daily realities of working-class families who live far from the promises of the American Dream. As a fifth-generation farm kid and the descendant of teen mothers, she witnessed the costs of medical insecurity, economic volatility, and a society quick to judge those who earn the least.
Through vivid storytelling and unflinching clarity, Smarsh reflects on the forces that defined her upbringing and the cultural myths that obscure the truth about class in America.
A finalist for major literary awards, Heartland is a powerful memoir that challenges assumptions and illuminates the resilience of those too often overlooked.
