The Forgotten Girls

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An acclaimed journalist explores how she escaped her small-town life in Arkansas while her brilliant friend did not, shedding light on the issues plaguing poor, rural white women across America, including unemployment, drug abuse, sexism, and evangelicalism. Growing up gifted yet working-class in the Ozarks, Monica and Darci formed a close friendship, united by their love for reading and learning amidst the challenges of their declining town and turbulent family situations—broken marriages, alcohol abuse, and shuttered businesses. They often traced their dreams on a classroom map, vowing to leave their town behind. Ultimately, Monica pursued higher education and achieved her goals, while Darci, along with many peers, remained trapped in their circumstances. Years later, as a journalist covering poverty, Monica learned that life expectancy for women in Arkansas had drastically declined, the sharpest drop in a century. Returning to Clinton to investigate, she reconnects with Darci, who has become a statistic: a single mother struggling with addiction, joblessness, and near-homelessness. Reflecting on their divergent paths, Monica examines the pivotal moments that shaped their lives, recognizing how easily her fate could have mirrored Darci's.