Saving Main Street

With profound eloquence and humanity, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Gary Rivlin exposes the challenges faced by small businesses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those created by consumer trends and government policies. He profiles the financial risks faced by three micro-enterprises in Pennsylvania – a restaurant, a hair salon and a gift shop. Rivlin grippingly explores contradictions in government policy, racial and class fissures, and the tremendous impact “mom-and-pop” shops have on US society and the economy. He celebrates their entrepreneurial grit and exposes the government’s inconsistent efforts to contain the economic impacts of the pandemic.