"Journalist Grace Olmstead wrestles with the question of what we owe the places we come from: How do we square our desire for self-improvement, economic opportunity, and growth with the damage and brain drain left in our wake? She tells the stories of townspeople who no longer know each other, of high schoolers who want to get away, and contrasts them with the struggles of the few stickers who have tried to put down roots. She delves into the government policies and big agriculture practices that make it almost impossible for America's farm towns to survive. And she paints a dark picture of what will happen to America if we become a nation where, blown around by market whims and individual preferences, no one stays"-- Provided by publisher.