“We are fortunate that Brian Alexander, one of the foremost chroniclers of off-the-beaten track America, has taken it upon himself to tell the story of local government in one particularly overlooked small city. The Mayor is rich in character, texture and drama and manages to be maddening and inspiring at the same time.” ―Alec MacGillis, reporter, ProPublica, author of Fulfillment

“This wonderful, engaging book … illustrates that even in the most dire circumstances, there is hope.”

―Daron Acemoglu, MIT, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and author of New York Times bestseller Why Nations Fail

“If New York had Jimmy Breslin, and Baltimore had David Simon, then Chester, Pennsylvania—where Martin Luther King cut his ministerial teeth at Calvary Baptist Church—has Brian Alexander. Mayor is an often heartbreaking tale of poor but courageous Black citizens, and their scrappy mayor who, with his multiracial administration, confronts corruption to make life better for his constituents. In spare but lovely prose, Alexander chronicles how their hardscrabble existence doesn’t extinguish the flame of hope as they light our path to reclaiming democracy in the Age of Trump.”
—Michael Eric Dyson, New York Times bestselling author

“Mayors have no choice but to work with everyone, bring a level of seriousness to their positions, and ultimately, get things done. We need more of that in American governance these days. In a time of cynicism and dysfunction at other levels of government, I’m grateful Brian Alexander is putting a spotlight on the inspiring work that mayors do. The Mayor is a must-read if you want to see what real public service looks like.”
—Mayor David Holt, 38th Mayor of Oklahoma City and 83rd President of the United States Conference of Mayors

“A gritty and gripping foray into the maw of local politics that follows the lives of ordinary people as they try to reimagine the promise of American democracy. Alexander brings a keen understanding of US politics and history to bear in this rich tale of popular mobilization and civic disaffection. He also adeptly positions the trials and triumphs of one small city as a metaphor for the larger forces that have shaped American society—for good and ill—over the past half century.”
—Claude A. Clegg III, author of The Black President: Hope and Fury in the Age of Obama

“Vivid in its characters and gripping in its story-telling…a penetrating, original portrait of America in our times, which also provides reality-based hope about how a better America could emerge.”

—James Fallows, co-author of Our Towns, American Book Award winner”

Nobody writing today captures the sweep and depth of American places the way Alexander does.”

—Beth Macy, New York Times bestselling author of Paper Girl

“We are fortunate that Brian Alexander, one of the foremost chroniclers of off-the-beaten track America, has taken it upon himself to tell the story of local government in one particularly overlooked small city. The Mayor is rich in character, texture and drama and manages to be maddening and inspiring at the same time.”

―Alec MacGillis, reporter, ProPublica, author of Fulfillment

“Driven by his deep love for the invisible forces that bind communities together, Alexander bears witness to the tenacity of tiny Chester, PA, still punching back despite absorbing the body blows of American racial capitalism for over a century. Equal parts sweeping history and intimate snapshot… gripping.”

―Benjamin Herold, author, Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs

“Beautifully captures what’s gone wrong―and could go right―in areas of the US left behind by capitalism gone off the rails. With an ear attuned to both racial and class dynamics, Alexander captures the poignancy of people who feel deeply rooted in the “warm bath” of the communities they grew up in.”

―Joan C. Williams, Distinguished Professor (Emerita) and Director, Equality Action Center, UC Law SF, author of Outclassed

“An exquisite, searing account of a long-shot attempt to resurrect democracy in the only bankrupt city in America. An illuminating dive into the betrayal of our small towns―and our country.”

―Andrea Pitzer, author of Icebound and One Long Night