Dreamland

Dreamland by Sam Quinones is an eye-opening narrative that delves deep into the roots and ramifications of America's opioid crisis, exploring how a potent combination of capitalistic ventures led to widespread addiction and devastation across the nation. Starting from a small town in Mexico, the story weaves through the boardrooms of Big Pharma and reaches the heartland of America, revealing the forces behind an explosive and tragic epidemic.

In 1929, the blue-collar city of Portsmouth, Ohio, saw the establishment of Dreamland, a grand swimming pool the size of a football field. This venue quickly became the vital center of the community, symbolising hope and unity. Today, however, Portsmouth tells a different story—one of addiction that mirrors the plight of numerous small rural towns and suburbs across America. The grip of addiction, unlike anything ever seen before in the country, has left an indelible mark on these communities.

Quinones, with the adept narrative skill of a seasoned reporter and the storytelling finesse of a novelist, unravels the interconnected tales of two capitalistic excesses colliding with catastrophic consequences. The tale begins with the unfettered prescribing of pain medications in the 1990s, reaching a pinnacle with Purdue Pharma's aggressive marketing of OxyContin, a new, highly addictive painkiller. As the narrative unfolds, Quinones introduces the parallel influx of black tar heroin—cheap, potent, and sourced from a single county on Mexico's west coast. This heroin, independent of traditional drug cartels, infiltrated small towns and mid-sized cities across the U.S., propelled by an innovative and highly effective marketing and distribution system.

Together, these two phenomena—the overprescription of painkillers and the surge of black tar heroin—continue to wreak havoc on American communities, from Tennessee to Oregon, Indiana to New Mexico. Quinones enriches his narrative by introducing an unforgettable cast of characters, including pharma pioneers, ambitious young Mexican entrepreneurs, diligent narcotics investigators, as well as survivors and grieving parents. Through their stories, he illustrates how these seemingly disparate elements interwove to create a perfect storm of addiction.

A winner of the NBCC Award for General Nonfiction, Dreamland has garnered numerous accolades, reflecting its profound impact and the importance of its subject matter. The book was named among Amazon's Best Books of the Year 2015, and received praise from various notable figures including Michael Botticelli (U.S. Drug Czar) and Angus Deaton (Nobel Prize in Economics). It has been featured in prestigious lists such as Slate.com's 10 Best Books of 2015, Entertainment Weekly's 10 Best Books of 2015, and The Guardian's Best Book We Read All Year, amongst others.

Dreamland serves as a revelatory account of the opioid crisis, casting light on a pervasive and corrosive threat that continues to challenge America and its heartland. Sam Quinones' masterful storytelling not only informs but also compels readers to confront the gravity of this national epidemic.