There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America
What it's about
In America, hard work is supposed to keep a roof over your head. Brian Goldstone shows how it no longer does: skyrocketing rents, low wages and weak tenant rights now push people with full-time jobs into homelessness, especially in booming cities. He follows five Atlanta families through evictions, extended-stay motels and cars, showing that they're being displaced not by a failing economy but by a thriving one.
Why it's worth reading
It won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It's deeply reported, gripping and humane, and it changes how you see the working people around you.
You'll love it if you liked
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, Nickel and Dimed or Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City
Good to know
It reads like narrative journalism, following real families over years. It's angering and sad, but it's never preachy.
Quick answers
Is There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America worth reading?
Yes. It won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It ranks #80 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 87.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America about?
In America, hard work is supposed to keep a roof over your head. Brian Goldstone shows how it no longer does: skyrocketing rents, low wages and weak tenant rights now push people with full-time jobs into homelessness, especially in booming cities. He follows five Atlanta families through evictions, extended-stay motels and cars, showing that they're being displaced not by a failing economy but by a thriving one.
How long does it take to read There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America?
About 10 hours (420 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America won?
Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2026).
What should I read after There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America?
If you liked it, try Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond, Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich or Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott.
By the numbers
- Readers88 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz100 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2026).
Where it ranks
Won
- Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2026)