Janesville, Wisconsin

Janesville, Wisconsin is the setting for the book. The author, Amy Goldstein, wrote briefly about the history and physical location of the town though the majority of the book was about the effect of the closure of the GM plant, followed by other downturns in the economy.

The GM Plant in Janesville

The plant that stood empty from the shut down in December of 2008 was huge, some 4.8 million square feet with parking lots that were empty in the following years other than the car of the single security guard on duty. Goldstein said that empty facility “embodies their dilemma: How do you forge a future – how do you even comprehend that you need to let go of the past” (Location 211). She also made a juxtaposition between the sign, which began to rust and the overall situation of the town after this major industry closed its doors...