This little, 159-page book is well worth an afternoon. Kotlowitz offers a textured portrait of life in Chicago: while one leaves the book with no doubt that he loves the city, this is hardly pure booster literature. Focusing on a diverse handful of Chicagoans - including the likes of Oil Can Eddy, a labor organizer, and Millie and Brenda, two women from the rough-and-tumble West Side - he illumines not only the wonder of this place but also its underbelly. Food is a major theme, as Kotlowitz gives a shout out to "hole-in-the-wall" establishments like Manny's deli and Edna's soul food restaurant; and so is change. In a short chapter on Wicker Park he laments the impact of gentrification there, though in his reflections on South Chicago and Cicero he makes clear that the past was far from perfect. In the end, Kotlowitz's book evokes a Chicago long brimming with vibrant communities, and where neighborhoods are today "simultaneously moving both backward and forward in time." We're proud to call it home.
p.s. I'm always happy to loan out the books in my collection, so don't be shy about asking.
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