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The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America

by Bill Bryson

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A cross-country search for the American small town

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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A cross-country search for the American small town

Bill Bryson retraces parts of his American past on a journey that begins in his native Des Moines and spans 38 states. Framed as a search for an ideal small town, the book moves through landmarks and everyday places, including Times Square, the Mississippi River, and Williamsburg, Virginia. The travelogue uses these stops to examine the contrasts within the United States: kitsch and beauty, familiar memories and changed landscapes, boredom and unexpected local character. It is a wide-ranging portrait of the country built from roadside observation and a personal return to its towns and cities.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in U.S. travel writing and road journeys
  • Fans of humorous, observational travelogues
  • Readers curious about small-town America and regional contrasts

Themes

American travelSmall-town lifeNostalgiaRegional identityRoadside culture

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"The kind of book Steinbeck might have written if he'd traveled with David Letterman." --New York magazine

An inspiring and hilarious account of one man's rediscovery of America and his search for the perfect small town.

Following an urge to rediscover his youth, Bill Bryson left his native Des Moines, Iowa, in a journey that would take him across 38 states. Lucky for us, he brought a notebook. With a razor wit and a kind heart, Bryson serves up a colorful tale of boredom, kitsch, and beauty when you least expect it. From Times Square to the Mississippi River to Williamsburg, Virginia, Bryson's keen and hilarious search for the perfect American small town is a journey straight into the heart and soul of America.

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