Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein

It’s common knowledge that when a large factory closes, many employees are affected and sometimes a city cannot recover from that type of financial loss.

Janesville takes a close look at the General Motors plant closure in Janesville, Wisconsin which happened during the 2008 recession. But then it goes a step further to examine the Wisconsin politics at the time and since and then the waves of consequences that followed.

The author follows individuals for years after the closure, so the reader is taken on a real journey of what happens when blue-collar workers are left with few choices. Do they try to get a new education knowing that they may graduate with student loans and still receive too low pay to live on? Do they work several jobs to try to supplement? Or do they significantly lower their standard of living to compensate? And will the economy cooperate?

An eye-opening and entertaining read about a local problem. Find it in our catalog here.