September #3 - METHLAND

Title: Methland: The death and life of an American small town

Author: Nick Reding

Publisher: Bloomsburg

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59691-650-0

Series or stand-alone: Non-fiction

Setting: Oelwein, IA and Ottumwa, IA

1st Sentence:

Prologue

Home

As you look down after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport, headed west for San Francisco, California, it's only a few minutes before the intricate complexity of Chicago's suburban streets is overcome by the rolling swell of the prairie.

Comments:

This was a very sobering book, although the information wasn't new to me as Oelwein is about thirty minutes away from where I live and work. The author writes about how meth invaded Oelwein and other small towns across the country and nearly ruined them. I was interested to find out, however, that the first "kingpin" of meth in Iowa was not really a king, but a queen. And the sister to a native celebrity to boot. Reding interviewed many people, including the Mayor, Police Chief, Dr. Hallberg, Nathan Lein, some DEA members and several tweakers.
There were some incorrect local references, but overall, this was a compelling book.