Something truly fascinating is afoot in a region of the Upper Midwest commonly known as the Driftless that runs counter to many of the trends in the rest of the nation and just might be blueprint for the future of a downsized United States. Covering parts of four states--Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota--that share a shoreline with the Mississippi River, the Driftless area was spared the glacial activity that leveled the rest of the Midwest landscape. What is left is a common culture of tucked away hills and valleys, where small-scale farming, a respect and love of nature, and close-knit community are a way of life.

A seasoned journalist known for his nuanced reporting, Stephen J. Lyons tells the stories of the Driftless through the colorful and unforgettable voices of residents who defy easy characterizations and lazy narratives. Readers will meets seed savers, off-the-gridders, birders, farmers, musicians, artists, and writers, all who share a common bond in a separate nation called the Driftless.

In West of East, veteran journalist Stephen J. Lyons takes readers on a journey into America's western interior, a tableau chockfull of one-of-a-kind, rough-around-the-edges characters and scenes rarely experienced by the everyday traveler. Lyons himself is at the center of these landscapes, chronicling not only his own past as migrant worker, but also expertly and sensitively observing the men and women who inhabit these precious spaces.

Searching for A Way Home is an off-the-road exploration of American life and family history. Veteran essayist and journalist Stephen J. Lyons takes readers to the fringes of society through his own experiences, whether sampling the exploits of an Elvis imitator in Florida, partying with a rowdy cowboy in Colorado, slacking with old-timers in an Oregon hotel, failing at farming in the Midwest, dodging his demons as a boy in Chicago, or simply contemplating his permanent liminal space in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Self-effacing, reflective, and universal in approach, this award-winning author also shows the beauty in his mother's last days, and how a drifter and a dreamer finally found a home in the least expected place.

Searching for A Way Home is an off-the-road exploration of American life and family history. Veteran essayist and journalist Stephen J. Lyons takes readers to the fringes of society through his own experiences, whether sampling the exploits of an Elvis imitator in Florida, partying with a rowdy cowboy in Colorado, slacking with old-timers in an Oregon hotel, failing at farming in the Midwest, dodging his demons as a boy in Chicago, or simply contemplating his permanent liminal space in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Self-effacing, reflective, and universal in approach, this award-winning author also shows the beauty in his mother's last days, and how a drifter and a dreamer finally found a home in the least expected place.

When the Mississippi River crested 30 feet above its banks in June 2008, tens of thousands of Midwesterners lost their homes, their crops and all their possessions; The flood was especially hard on Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where journalist Stephen Lyons describes a city caught between resilience and growing frustration with the slowness of government recovery efforts.