{"product_id":"monster-of-a-land-on-the-road-in-search-of-modern-america","title":"Monster of a Land: On the Road in Search of Modern America","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLAUREN HOUGH \u003c\/b\u003ewas born in Germany and raised in seven countries, and West Texas. She's been an Air Force airman, a bartender, a bouncer, a construction laborer, a driver, a green-aproned barista, and a cable guy. She's the author of the \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling essay collection, \n\u003ci\u003eLeaving Isn't the Hardest Thing\u003c\/i\u003e. Her work has appeared in \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eGranta\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eTexas Highways\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eHuffpost\u003c\/i\u003e, and \n\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e. She's a writer at large for Texas Highways. She lives in Austin with a dog named Woody Guthrie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMOST ANTICIPATED: \u003ci\u003eTHE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE BOSTON GLOBE, AUTOSTRADDLE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, KIRKUS REVIEWS, \u003c\/i\u003eAARP, \u003ci\u003eALTA, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Lauren Hough writes about America the way it deserves to be written about--honestly, and with a tinge of heartbreak. \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land\u003c\/i\u003e is so much more than a road trip book--it's about the trips we never take, the people we lose before we get the chance, and what happens when you finally get in the goddamn car.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Jennette McCurdy, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eHalf His Age\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eI'm Glad My Mom Died\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A keenly observed story about America and the complexity of her people. Hough brings genuine empathy and nuance to recognizing that most of what divides us is orchestrated by the obscene wealth disparity shaping our lives. She offers a unique portrait of the forgotten places from one coast of the country to the other, blended with a moving, sometimes haunting, and often hilarious portrait of herself and the dogs she has loved. You will be changed by this remarkable book, and for the better.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e-- Roxane Gay, author of \u003ci\u003eDifficult Women\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land\u003c\/i\u003e is a brilliant hand-whittled portrait of America. Full of hardship but also, incredibly, of hope and empathy. And funny as all get-out! It contains such wisdom about our country and about ourselves. Get it into your hands.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of \u003ci\u003eLess\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\"Monster of a Land\u003c\/i\u003e is hilarious and sad, beautifully observed, brutal when it needs to be, tender, a love song, a protest song, the most profound kind of American music. There is no writer like Lauren Hough. She's utterly brilliant.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e-- Elizabeth McCracken, author of\u003ci\u003e A Long Game \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A wild, funny, heartbreaking joyride through this strange country with one of our best storytellers at the wheel. Lauren Hough is a national treasure and \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land\u003c\/i\u003e is not to be missed. Hop in the van. You won't be disappointed.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--Greg Marshall, author of Leg \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Lauren Hough's \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land \u003c\/i\u003e. . . looks at the current wealth disparity in America with something rare these days: nuance and compassion.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Courtney Maum, \u003ci\u003etheSkimm \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Alternately funny and angry, it's a travelogue for our times.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \"10 Best Books to Read in June\" \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Memorable. . . . Sharp . . . laugh-aloud funny. . . . A travelogue full of pathos, insights, solidarity--and some side-splitting and spot-on observations.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eTexas Observer \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Lauren Hough's \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land: On the Road in Search of Modern America\u003c\/i\u003e channels John Steinbeck as she travels the highways and byways of this country with her trusty dog, Woody.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eAlta \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"[A] travelogue meets social commentary meets personal narrative about being a lesbian moving through all different cross-sections of the country.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eAutostraddle\u003c\/i\u003e, \"Our Most Anticipated Queer Books for June 2026\" \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Part travelog, part social commentary, and very much a portrait of a country that can seem deeply divided from a distance until you get up close.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eTexas Standard\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \"Hough's encounters on the road--a vivid kaleidoscope of people and places--feel vast against the 'microcosm' of her individual identity as writer, daughter, friend, traveler, and observer. . . . With trademark grit, scathing wit, and keen observation, she circles the country in Steinbeck's tracks. . . . A rollicking adventure filled with living, loving, reflecting, and connecting with fellow Americans of every stripe, means, and lifestyle.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eSanta Fe New Mexican \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"[Hough] is genuinely, helplessly funny. She makes you laugh on one line and guts you on the next. Her observations are razor-edged but never cruel. . . . \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land\u003c\/i\u003e is a generous book that never turns naive. It's a book about looking, really \n\u003ci\u003elooking\u003c\/i\u003e, at a country and its people, and refusing to write any of them off.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eHippocampus Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Hough's style is captivating. It's hard to put the book down, and one is glad she takes us on her journey.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Sun \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Contemplative and immensely entertaining. An odyssey in a well-equipped yet questionably operational van. . . . Hough's writing is both evocative and literary; the reader is taken along for a memorable ride. . . . Lauren Hough is unafraid and unapologetic in sharing deeply personal aspects of her life, and this allows for a most refreshing and well-rounded travel memoir. . . . \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land \u003c\/i\u003eis a book that is affecting but also uplifting and relatable on many levels.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBookTrib\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\"Monster of a Land \u003c\/i\u003e. . . is a fantastic, clear-eyed memoir where Lauren shares the struggles and stories she learned from the 'have nots' she met during a cross-country road trip with her dog.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Courtney Maum, \u003ci\u003eThe Write Question\u003c\/i\u003e, Montana Public Radio \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"I love the beautiful beating heart of this funny, earnest book that grapples with America, and its horrible and wonderful land and people, one pit stop at a time.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Lyz Lenz, \u003ci\u003eLitHub \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A lively, thoughtful memoir of being a stranger in a strange land. . . . [Hough] is an astute observer, commiserating with . . . forgotten and left-behind people. . . . A politically charged meander down highways and byways, and just right for our time.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"[Hough] writes beautifully of loss: loss of friends, family, neighborliness, mutual understanding, and meaning in a world ripped apart by endless consumption, digital dependency, and greed. . . . Heartbreakingly tender. Fans of her first book of essays will be thrilled as Hough once again proves her unique ability to see connections among seemingly disparate people and situations. . . . Hough writes with searing insight into the human condition. This is just as much of a journey inward as it is outward.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Lisa Gieskes, \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review) \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"[Hough] describes with humor and empathy her encounters along her route.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--AARP, \"Summer Preview: 32 of the Season's Top New Books\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFrom \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLeaving Isn't the Hardest Thing \u003c\/i\u003ecomes an update of John Steinbeck's trip in \u003ci\u003eTravels with Charley, \u003c\/i\u003ea cross-country journey exploring modern America with Lauren Hough's signature observational wit, searing social commentary, and perspective as someone who knows what it's like to truly exist on the margins in this country. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land\u003c\/i\u003e is so much more than a road trip book--it's about the trips we never take, the people we lose before we get the chance, and what happens when you finally get in the goddamn car.\" --Jennette McCurdy, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eHalf His Age\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eI'm Glad My Mom Died\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLauren Hough has always been haunted by the road trips she never got to take: no money, no vacation days, no car capable of making the trip. So, upon finally finding herself in a situation where such a trip might be possible--being a writer may not always pay better than being a bartender or a cable guy, but at least the schedule's flexible--she leaps at the chance, refurbishing a ramshackle 2001 Dodge van and setting off from Austin, Texas with her Husky mix Woody by her side. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer influences feel obvious--but a lot has changed about the United States since the 1962 trip John Steinbeck chronicles in \n\u003ci\u003eTravels with Charley\u003c\/i\u003e. And Lauren Hough isn't John Steinbeck--unless the Nobel Prize-winning author of \n\u003ci\u003eThe Grapes of Wrath\u003c\/i\u003e had a secret past as a six-foot-tall lesbian and Air Force vet. But even better as a social lubricant than beer, a dog is the ultimate conversation starter. With Woody as wingman, Lauren chats--at gas stations and restaurants and auto shops and bars--with an incredible cross-section of Americans from all walks of life and every possible political perspective. And as she circumnavigates the country, she documents, with all-too-rare empathy, what it means to be poor, to be marginalized, and to be seen as Other in America. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePart travelogue, part social commentary, and 100% Lauren Hough, \n\u003ci\u003eMonster of a Land\u003c\/i\u003e unites her poignant vulnerability, her hilarious narrative voice, and her razor-sharp insights into a journey that will show us how far we've come as a country, and how far we still have to go.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 pg. 81 (EAN 9780593686621, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/01\/2026 (EAN 9780593686621, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/04\/2026 (EAN 9780593686621, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/01\/2026 (EAN 9780593686621, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Pantheon Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496244936982,"sku":"9780593686621","price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780593686621.jpg?v=1783058075","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/monster-of-a-land-on-the-road-in-search-of-modern-america","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}