Nick Reding is the author of the book. He begins visiting Oelwein to find out the truth about the meth trade and rural America. Over the course of the story, he challenges himself and the reader to contemplate assumptions meth use. He also befriends a number of Oelwein residents, particularly Nathan.

Reding wants to be optimistic about the meth epidemic. He is, briefly, when Larry Murphy makes what appear to be sweeping changes to the town’s appearance and legal policies regarding meth. But at the end of the book, Nick has moved to St. Louis and his fears about a resurgence of meth are confirmed. The epidemic has returned to the fever pitch of 1996. Now that Nick is married and has a child on the way, he worries about the world he will raise his child in. He is therefore relatively pessimistic at the end of the book.

For Methland, Reding won the 2010 Hillman Prize awarded to journalists who pursue social justice and the 2009 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize.