Monster of a Land

On the Road in Search of Modern America

By: Lauren Hough

Narrated by: Lauren Hough

From The New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing comes an update of John Steinbeck’s trip in Travels with Charley, a 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.

Lauren 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.

Her influences feel obvious—but a lot has changed about the United States since the 1962 trip John Steinbeck chronicles in Travels with Charley. And Lauren Hough isn’t John Steinbeck—unless the Noble Prize-winning author of The Grapes of Wrath 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.

Part travelogue, part social commentary, and 100% Lauren Hough, Monster of a Land 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.

Critic reviews

“Lauren Hough writes about America the way it deserves to be written about—honestly, and with a tinge of heartbreak. Monster of a Land 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 New York Times bestselling author of Half His Age and I’m Glad My Mom Died

“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.”
—‎Roxane Gay, author of Difficult Women

“Monster of a Land 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.”
—Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less

“Monster of a Land 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.”
—‎Elizabeth McCracken, author of A Long Game

“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 Monster of a Land is not to be missed. Hop in the van. You won’t be disappointed.”
—Greg Marshall, author of Leg