Review of "Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America" by Alissa Quart

Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America by Alissa Quart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alissa Quart does an excellent job of profiling American families from all ranges of socioeconomic backgrounds who are all feeling squeezed right now. The majority of the families she interviews have children but they range from; single parent homes, families with children with disabilities, families below the poverty line to families struggling to remain in the lower upper class. In the introduction of the book, Quart introduces us to Michelle Belmont, a technology librarian, whose family was struggling to just remain in the middle class. She borrowed to get an education required for her career, both bachelor and masters degrees, and when her son came along, they owed the hospital over $20,000 in medical bills. Quart shows right from the beginning of the book how easily a family, or even a single person, can get over their heads in debt.

Quart interviews family after family in the subsequent chapters but the message remains the same throughout. Over and over, these Americans are blaming themselves for their predicament. They blame themselves for drowning in debt, while they are merely trying to take care of their family. Quart lists to "stop placing blame" as the first step individuals can take in action to stop feeling squeezed. While this book is slightly skewed to focus on those families who may be considered "middle-class", Alissa even reveals her personal story with feeling squeezed. As a journalist, she goes through the bumps of her career and how she comes out on the other side.

While I don't think this book gives all the answers for how we as Americans can fix this issue of feeling financially squeezed and burdened in our lives. However, she does demonstrate that this is more of a universal problem that we may have thought. You are not alone in your struggle. It's the system that is the problem.

I would recommend this book for any fans of books on economics or sociology. If you enjoyed "Evicted" by Matthew Desmond, you'll enjoy this middle-class version of that book. She does get a little political in areas discussing the influences of the past and current Presidential Administration, but overall a very good insight into a universal issue plaguing middle-class America today.

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