The book covers political ferment of the 1930s; post-World War II anti-Communism; post-war affluence; suburbanization and demographic change; juvenile delinquency, mental illness and the perception of the U.S. as a “sick” society; and post-1965 immigration. It draws on a range of sources, from magazine and newspaper accounts to government reports and important non-fiction, to show how writers engaged the issues and events of their times.
Includes a historical timeline, featuring key literary works, and historical events.