Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, an Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work

In the introduction, Laskas states, “[m]y own political views have no place in this book, and I deliberately steered away from making please on behalf of anyone […].” However, she notes, “it seemed incomplete to ignore the fact that America continues to split itself into political extremes” (7). How well do you think Laskas balanced these two considerations overall? Were there any chapters that seemed more or less politically balanced?

In many sections, death and illness play a large role. Explore how death and illness are a central part of the text, and what this indicates about Laskas’s goals for the stories she tells.

In each section, Laskas introduces at least one person who functions as the protagonist of that particular chapter. Which of these protagonists did you find the most compelling? Which did you find the least compelling?

What did you find most surprising in these stories? Why was this surprising?

After reading about some of these professions, which do you find the most interesting? Why are they interesting?

What are other hidden professions that more people should know about?

The tone of a piece of writing refers to the mood it creates for the reader. Which of these sections had the lightest tone? Which had the darkest?

What elements of fiction—plot structure, conflict, characterization, figurative language, point of view—does Laskas use to structure each chapter?