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Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2016

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Book Brief

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Matthew Desmond

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2016
Book Details
Pages

448

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

Milwaukee, Wisconsin • 2010s

Publication Year

2016

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond follows poor renters and wealthy landlords in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, illustrating how eviction perpetuates poverty and inequality. The book details the harsh realities faced by diverse tenants, highlighting systemic failures and proposing solutions for housing stability and justice. Topics of domestic violence, substance abuse, and racial discrimination are addressed.

Informative

Unnerving

Melancholic

Challenging

Emotional

Reviews & Readership

4.6

112,899 ratings

90%

Loved it

8%

Mixed feelings

2%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City is lauded for its compelling narrative and detailed ethnographic research on urban poverty and housing instability. Readers praise its empathetic portrayal of tenants and landlords but note the book’s heavy emotional weight and occasional lack of actionable solutions. Recommended for its impactful insight, despite minor criticisms.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City?

Readers interested in Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond are often those who appreciate in-depth social analysis and are concerned with urban poverty issues. Fans of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed or Alex Kotlowitz’s There Are No Children Here will find this work equally compelling.

4.6

112,899 ratings

90%

Loved it

8%

Mixed feelings

2%

Not a fan

Character List

Sherrena Tarver

A young, black former elementary school teacher turned landlord who has built a real estate empire primarily in Milwaukee's North Side, where she rents to impoverished tenants.

An older white landlord sought for maintaining a poorly kept trailer park, he repeatedly shifts maintenance responsibilities onto his tenants by manipulating trailer ownership.

A single black mother struggling to provide a stable home for her two sons, constantly battling poverty and personal hardships.

A young tenant with a troubled past and various mental health issues, she attempts to help others but often undermines herself due to personal struggles.

A Vietnam War veteran living in Sherrena's duplex, struggling with disability and the aftermath of addiction, while trying to keep up with rent through maintenance work.

A large family living in a small duplex owned by Tarver, led by matriarch Doreen, as they face extreme poverty while trying to keep the family together.

A white trailer park resident facing eviction, highlighting family breakdown and failures in community support systems, who eventually finds herself without stable housing.

A mother of four daughters dealing with housing discrimination and personal turmoil in her relationship as she seeks stability for her family.

A former nurse whose back injury led to drug addiction until he finds recovery and improved living circumstances, offering a rare hopeful outcome.

Book Details
Pages

448

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

Milwaukee, Wisconsin • 2010s

Publication Year

2016

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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