Tightrope Book Summary, by Nicholas D. Kristof

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In their nonfiction book Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope (2020), American journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn paint an extremely negative portrait of the challenges faced by residents of Yamhill, Oregon. NPR notes that this book is difficult to read but feels necessary in today’s world.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kristof grew up on a farm in Yamhill County. At that time, his town was still recovering from its blue-collar success of earlier times. There was one story involving Dee Knapp, who had five children around Kristof’s age. One night her husband came home drunk and angry. He ordered her to cook him a meal immediately. Because she was sleepy, he beat her with his fists and threatened to kill her with a rifle if she didn’t hurry up. She hid all night in the fields praying for safety of her children as well as herself.

Kristof and WuDunn continue to give updates on the lives of the children in China. Only one is still alive, but that child has HIV and hepatitis. Two others died from substance abuse-related issues, while two other children died in fires. Many of Kristof’s peers also had problems: a quarter of them are dead now because they were involved with drugs or alcohol or made bad decisions. One boy who used to ride his school bus became obese after losing his job; he later developed alcoholism and meth addiction. A commenter said that it was all due to free will—obesity kills you, not inequality.

The book focuses on the town of Yamhill, but it also addresses poverty across America. The authors argue that substance abuse is related to post-traumatic stress disorder from childhood or domestic abuse. They believe that many struggling Americans in rural areas vote for politicians who want to cut social programs because they are afraid and anxious about their situation as members of the underclass.

In contrast to Yamhill, Kristof and WuDunn visit Baltimore, Maryland. It has a larger population and is majority black. However, it faces many of the same problems as Yamhill: drug addiction and poor health care for veterans. Kristof and WuDunn focus on Daniel McDowell’s story—a veteran who was injured in Afghanistan but then became addicted to opioids after receiving them from a doctor. His addiction eventually cost him his family and landed him in jail. In contrast with veterans from previous generations, today’s soldiers are rewarded by being sent into battle where they get hooked on drugs before being thrown into jail when they can’t pay their bills or support their families anymore.

In the midst of all this poverty, there are some inspiring stories. For example, in order to enroll in ninth grade, a teenager finds her mother in prison and gets her signature on the necessary forms. These kinds of stories show how people should never have to go through such absurd lengths just to survive.

Social problems in the U.S. and other countries are unique but also stem from long-held myths about self-sufficiency, pulling oneself out of poverty, etc., that lead to similar issues among those who are poor or struggling financially: (help is withheld because) people assume it’s just a matter of determination and grit; myths reinforce beliefs that people deserve to be poor because they’re not as hardworking/determined enough; this makes it even less likely for them to get out of poverty.