Back Roads and Better Angels

A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy

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Pub Date Jun 04 2024 | Archive Date Mar 17 2024

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Description

“Enlightening and inspiring.”  — Walter Isaacson

“Barry probes the American soul, finding its biases, but also, nurtured by its complicated past, our better angels — with an opportunity to move forward.”  — Ken Burns

Bringing together two of America’s unifying loves — road trips and Abraham Lincoln — Frank Barry takes readers on a thought-provoking journey into the heart of our democracy and the soul of our country


A year into his marriage and having never driven an RV, Frank and his wife Laurel set out from New York City in a Winnebago to drive the nation’s first transcontinental route, the Lincoln Highway, which zigzags through small towns and big cities from Times Square to San Francisco.

Using the spirit of Abraham Lincoln to guide them across the land, they hope to see more clearly what holds the country together — and how we can keep it together, even amidst political divisions have grown increasingly rancorous, bitter, and exhausting.

Along the way, Frank and Laurel meet Americans whose personal experiences help humanize the nation’s divisions, and they encounter historical figures and events whose legacies are still shaping our sense of national identity and the struggles over it.

This unforgettable journey is full of what makes any great road trip memorable and enjoyable: music, conversation, and laughter. By the end, readers will have a clearer picture of how we have arrived at a period that carries echoes of the Civil War era, and — using Lincoln as a guide — where the path forward lies.
“Enlightening and inspiring.”  — Walter Isaacson

“Barry probes the American soul, finding its biases, but also, nurtured by its complicated past, our better angels — with an opportunity to move...

Advance Praise

"Enlightening and inspiring." — Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times best-selling biographer

“The Cassandras predict doom, the Polyannas see only sunshine.  Barry goes deeper, probing the American soul, finding its biases, but also, nurtured by its complicated past, our better angels — with an opportunity to move forward.” — Ken Burns

"Enlightening and inspiring." — Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times best-selling biographer

“The Cassandras predict doom, the Polyannas see only sunshine. Barry goes deeper, probing the American soul...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781586423889
PRICE $35.00 (USD)
PAGES 560

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Average rating from 3 members


Featured Reviews

Francis S. Barry’s “Back Roads and Better Angels” is a contemplative look at America in Covid in the run-up to the heinous events of January 6th. Barry does a yeoman’s job of portraying the varying viewpoints of people he and his partner encounter as they crossed the Lincoln Highway. He masterfully builds tension as January 6th looms larger. I actually found this difficult to read. He genuinely tries to show the better of America but reading this now, with Tr*mp annointed as the High Priest of Cult45, one fears for what’s coming. Thanks to #netgalley and #steerforth for the opportunity to preview this book.

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