The Haunt of Home, Zachary Michael Jack
The Haunt of Home, Zachary Michael Jack
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The Haunt of Home
A Journey through America’s Heartland

Author: Zachary Michael Jack

Narrator: Tim Getman

Unabridged: 8 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/15/2020

Synopsis

What does it mean to deeply love a home place that haunts us still? From Mark Twain to Grant Wood to Garrison Keillor, regionalists from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age have explored the American Gothic and the homegrown fatalism that flourishes in many of the nation’s most far-flung and forgotten places. The Haunt of Home introduces us to a cast of real-life midwestern characters grappling with the Gothic in their own lives, from promising young professionals debating the perennial “should I stay or should I go now” dilemma, to recent emigres and entrepreneurs seeking personal reinvention, to faithful boosters determined to keep their communities alive despite the odds. In The Haunt of Home Zachary Michael Jack considers the many ways a region’s abiding spirit shapes the ethos of a land and its people, offering portraits of others who, like himself, are determined to live out the unique promise and predicament of the Gothic.

About Zachary Michael Jack

Zachary Michael Jack is an award-winning author of many books, including, most recently Country Views and Wish You Were Here. Jack is a professor of English at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, a seventh-generation Iowan, and a member of the board of directors for the Midwestern History Association.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Umar

Rich prose and heartfelt. I've never lived in a rural area, have no desire to live in such an area, and I hate cold weather. Having said all that the writing and family dynamics sucked me in and as a St. Louisan, with often conflicting opinions on if I should stay or go, I related to much of this bo......more

Goodreads review by Nicole

I Enjoyed everything about this book there was nothing I didn't like about the book. I Like the setting,the writing style,the plot,the plot twists and the characters in the book were amazing.I would gladly reread it again.I also like the concept of the book.I Would recommend this book to anyone.......more

Goodreads review by momma_doc_reads

This was an interesting read, painting a darker, gothic picture of the Midwest. Growing up in Kansas, I was able to relate to some of his depictions.......more

Goodreads review by Olivia

[I received an E-ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.] “Meanwhile we who live on Middle America’s minor moons, miles beyond metropolitan orbit, accept it as a fait accompli that if we should fail to protect and preserve our histories, no one else will.” The American Midwest is overloo......more

Quotes

“Jack makes a persuasive and elegant argument for the Middle American Gothic, detailed by writers and artists native to the region. Repression, hypocrisy, and empty righteousness play out in the wide-open landscape, pitted against the human inclination for passion. Much of this book rings true.” Maurice Manning, author of Railsplitter

“This story of fatalism on the prairie is seamlessly grounded in references to American art, literature, and movies and to communal fatalism in classical literature. In this way, Zachary Jack’s experiences become universal, extending far beyond Middle America.” James Ballowe, author of A Man of Salt and Trees

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