Episode Details

Lauren Hough has worn many hats. She’s been an Air Force airman, a bartender, a bouncer, a construction laborer, a driver, a barista and a cable guy.

But through it all, she’s written. In 2021, a collection of essays that together formed a memoir — “Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing” — shot up the New York Times bestseller list.

Her new book, “Monster of a Land,” is a worthy follow-up. Reminiscent of John Steinbeck’s “Travels with Charley,” Hough hits the road in a battered Dodge Ram to see America, her trusty dog Woody Guthrie riding shotgun.

What she finds is more honest, more gritty and less divisive than headlines would have you believe.

“Monster of a Land” is part of our July deep dive into the history and culture of America. Come along with Hough and Kerri Miller on this week’s show as they explore who we are right now and why traveling with a dog is the best decision ever.

Guest:

• Lauren Hough is a writer who lives in Austin, Texas with her dog, Woody. Her new road trip memoir is “Monster of a Land: On the Road in Search of a Modern America.”

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