Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth

Do you know any families like Smarsh’s? If not, why do you think that is? Do you see any effects of the socioeconomic divide in America in your own life?

How does access to healthcare affect different members of Smarsh’s family? Do you think access to medicine should be available to all? Why or why not?

Smarsh says that owning a house is an important status symbol in America. What is your home like? Does it offer stability? Does this relate to your own socioeconomic position?

Access to education—or lack thereof—is a major theme in the book, and Smarsh argues that education is almost a luxury that impoverished people have to fight for. Do you think people like Smarsh’s family would be likely to read a book like Heartland? In what ways is reading this book indicative of the privilege of education?

Smarsh’s family and many working-class people refuse to file for welfare assistance even when they need it. Why is this? Would you file for welfare if you were struggling to make ends meet? Why or why not? What extenuating circumstances might influence your decision?

Although Smarsh never directly experienced violence from a male member of her family, many of her relatives did. Why do you think violence is such a widespread problem for poor families? How might violence be cyclical in the same way poverty is cyclical?

How was Smarsh able to avoid falling into the pitfall of believing that her achievements were the result of only her hard work and that others could do as she did if they worked harder? How does she reconcile her achievements with the issues she is pointing out?

What kinds of wide-reaching harm can stereotypes like “white trash” cause to individuals and communities?