American Voices by Zeena Nackerdien

Connecticut is a generally affluent place. A glimpse into the perception people have and the actual lives of the people confirms this assessment. However, behind the curtain of assumptions and statistics lies a marginalized group of people. People who rarely ever get noticed. Insight into the lives of the vast variations of people reveals that all these people encounter the same life challenges. They all go through mid-life crises. They all go through heartbreak and suffer imprisoning relationships. They all encounter debilitating illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Cancer. There is more than meets the eye. Get lost in individual life stories. You never would have thought. 

The author has a uniquely special style of writing. The reader can sense the quirk through the writing and language. The stories are incredibly well told. The author has dived deep into the interviewees’ lives and given the reader a summary that provides a full dimensional view. This book achieves the perfect balance between entertainment and education. The reader will have a completely new view of life and people. It is fascinating and interesting. 

The author has portrayed these people who live in the same locale so differently. Reading each of the stories separately, one would not guess that they share an area code due to the difference in views and lives. This is an accurate portrayal of the divide between the famously affluent and the unheard poor. 

Zeena Nackerdien has done an excellent job. She has effectively shone a light on ‘ordinarily’ extraordinary people. This is a pleasurable read. Five stars out of five