During the 2020 presidential campaign, Frank Barry and his wife, Laurel, set out from New York City in a Winnebago to drive the nation’s first transcontinental route, the Lincoln Highway, with the aim of reaching San Francisco by Election Day. When the election result remained contested, they traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border and through the old Confederacy, as a new rebellion gathered momentum.

Over seven months and 10,000 miles, Frank spoke with many people of different political stripes about what holds America together. And in this book, he digs deep into the landscape to reveal more of the answer, peeling back the myths that shape our identity, delving into race and religion, examining how we have overcome the gravest threats to democracy, and sparing neither major political party from criticism.

As with any good road trip, there is conversation, laughter, and music. And, of course, there are mishaps. Neither Laurel nor Frank, only recently married, had ever driven an RV. They learned as they went, sometimes the hard way.

Frank Barry, a columnist and editorial board member at Bloomberg News, is the author of a new book, BACK ROADS AND BETTER ANGELS: A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy. Barry has worked as a speechwriter to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, including as chief speechwriter for Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign, and spearheaded various government reform initiatives while working in New York’s City Hall. He holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame and New York University and lives with his wife, Laurel, in New York City. He has been coming to Silver Bay with his family since he was two months old. He worked as an Emp-in-Training in 1992 and as an Emp from 1993-1996.