Critical explorations of critical books, a few chapters at a time. This year’s pick is AMERICAN NATIONS: A HISTORY OF THE ELEVEN REGIONAL CULTURES OF NORTH AMERICA by Colin Woodard.

“According to award-winning journalist and historian Colin Woodard, North America is made up of eleven distinct nations, each with its own unique historical roots. In American Nations he takes readers on a journey through the history of our fractured continent, offering a revolutionary and revelatory take on American identity, and how the conflicts between them have shaped our past and continue to mold our future. From the Deep South to the Far West, to Yankeedom to El Norte, Woodard … reveals how each region continues to uphold its distinguishing ideals and identities today, with results that can be seen in the composition of the U.S. Congress or on the county-by-county election maps of any hotly contested election in our history. This updated edition brings the story to the post-pandemic era.”

We will read this book in small parts between June and September, meeting every first and third Monday of the month to discuss what we’ve learned and what the text has raised in us.

Copies of the book are currently available at Long’s and more can be requested as needed.

To register for this virtual series, please visit https://tinyurl.com/2xx685np