‘’The home is the center of life. It is a refuge from the grind of work, the pressure of school, and the menace of the streets.’’ Mathew Desmond. I have personally been given the chance to recently read Evicted by Mathew Desmond, the quote above, is a line from his epilogue. I must say before I start that this book truly changes your output on how the housing and economy of America really is. A great story told from all perspectives, not just one.
Matthew Desmond, the writer of this investigative journal piece, is investigating the housing and economy of both the North and South Side of Milwaukee Wisconsin. We start our story on the Northside, the side many consider bad. The north side is inhabited by African Americans, or the part of the city of struggle for many black single moms. We start off with a Landlord named Sherreana who owns many houses that she rents out to tenants. Mathew tells the story of her main tenants which include Lamar a disabled guy with two sons, and many other boys whom look to him as a role model and safe haven to play cards. Other tenants include Arleen, a mother, currently taking care of her two boys Joir; whom is 14 and Jafaris, who is in kindergarten. Arleen throughout the story goes through much hardship and Mathew does a great job displaying that. Next is Doreen, also a mother who had lost her home, and was forced to move to the ‘’crappy’’ apartment of Sherenas; she has a daughter Natashia now pregnant with twins; it outlines the story of this family and what they went through. Later on in the book other characters emerge such as Crystal, a young woman who has been through a lot, but remains spiritual, and another Kamala who later in the book experienced something no mother should.
Mathew outlines the conditions of these apartments and houses of Sherennas, and why making rent for these families is so hard, as well as their long road of being evicted with sherrena. He also outlined why sheranna does not have sympathy for most families being evicted. He discusses the northside of Minwakee as a place many don’t want to move to because it is predominately black, and crime rates are high. However many black women are forced to move to bad parts of the northside, due to not having another income besides their own. It is noted of the unfairness and just how some deem it impossible to get out of poverty.
Later in the book we learn about Venntata, a friend of Crystals whom Matthew gives her story. He shows how friendships among the people in poverty often turn wrong when they split payments in trying to rent together. Once something happens though the friendship falls.
Matthew not only discusses the North side, but the Southside of Milwaukee as well, which is predominantly white. Matthew outlines a trailer park, the owner Lenny and his struggles to maintain being the owner of this park; Tobin his assistant and susie also his assistant. It discusses the story of many residents living in the trailers and their stories of eviction including Scott, a former nurse and drug user. A couple Pam and Ned, who have many kids; he even outlines how Pam wants to get away from Ned because he is racist towards her mixed daughters; it shows how eviction can trap someone. Lastly he tells the story of Larraine, a woman who lost her husband, and lives in a well put and clean trailer and her journey of eviction.
Overall the book Evicted tells the story of many sides and many perspectives of evictions, he gives real world examples and tells the stories of those who can’t. He illustrates what life is like for many poor Americans. Overall (Evicted by Matthew Desmond,) is a great and informative book to read.
