An American Dreamer

Reviews

“A poignant account of the social and political mood in the United States during Trump’s presidency . . . a timely and compelling argument for tolerance and moral character in times of extreme antagonism.”—The New York Times

“A keenly observed depiction of a divided country . . . People are complicated. And one of the strengths of this excellent book is how deftly Finkel presents those complications. . . . In this intimate, remarkable book, Finkel lets us inside the worlds of two imperfect men. By doing so, he helps us understand the fragmented reality that is America today.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“An intimate look at American lives in fraught times. . . an immersive portrayal of contemporary America, from Election Day 2016 through Election Day 2020, through the eyes of Iraqi war veteran Brent Cummings, his family, and his neighbors in a town in Georgia . . . . a sharply observed depiction of a divided country.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“A beautifully rendered, sensitively told story about a veteran who returns home to a nation where many things are changing or already altered forever.”—Library Journal

“Brilliantly reported and staggeringly important, An American Dreamer delivers a gripping story that is as illuminating and poignant as it is a punch in the gut.”—Beth Macy, New York Times bestselling author of Dopesick

“For anyone hoping to understand what has become of America these past twenty years, An American Dreamer is indispensable.”—Ben Fountain, bestselling author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

“In a lovely Atlanta suburb, two neighbors, both decent yet damaged men, find themselves on opposite sides of the fault line in a fracturing America. Finkel’s account is poetic, profound, and irresistibly page turning. It’s The White Album for a new decade of division and dissolution.”—Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Horse

“Here Finkel presents immersive, engaging, and incredibly well-written reporting on Cummings’ frank observations about friends, neighbors, and passers-by. Cummings watches Donald Trump stoke and amplify racism and hate, and questions which is the real America. . . . Finkel beautifully captures this contentious moment in our history. Focused in perspective but enormous in impact.”—Booklist

“Drawing on conversations with Cummings and his friends and family, primarily between 2016 and 2021, Finkel finds that the unifying belief among those he interviews—across the political spectrum—is the idea that the country is fracturing. . . . An evocative contribution to the shelf on what ails America in the age of Trump.”—Publishers Weekly Expand reviews