Book Review: The Trailer Park Rules
The Trailer Park Rules puts us in the world of American poverty. Set in the Loire Mobile Home Park in a small fictitious city of Loire, Illinois, the story introduces us, chapter-by-chapter, to Jonesy, Kaitlan, Nancy, Shirley, Jimmy, Janiece, Angel, Darren, & Maya.
All characters are in poverty, with a daily grind to pay the bills and stay in their minimalistic housing. Paying rent is a struggle. Buying good food is a struggle. There is not enough cash anytime. Daily. Grind.
Each character found their poverty in a different way. Each is managing their poverty in a different way. Poverties are not the same.
In the first few chapters, I thought the writer, Michelle Teheux, was going to take us to Disneyland, with the characters somehow uniting to make their lives better. But a quarter way through this book, it became apparent that these characters are too traumatized to make this happen.
Each chapter gets into the mindset of one of the characters. We can feel how each character thinks, how each sees the world, what each sees their place in that world. We see the characters’ flaws, their gaps in rationality, their bad choices, what goes on inside the walls of their mobile homes, their inability to climb out of their situation. With this book, we can understand poverty better.
This book is not big on plot. Yes, there is a murder and the trailer park gets a new owner who raises the rent. The author has the residents disburse. And most of them bring their self-sabotage with them, even when they land in better living situations. The psychological effects of poverty last after life situations get better.
Where this book should go
Politicians are one of the few professions that have few entrance requirements. Truck drivers have to pass a test they know something about driving a truck. Mechanics go through apprentice program. Dentists have much schooling and practicums. Politicians need only win elections — as if this skill has much to do with actually governing a society — wisely.
If I were in charge of setting up a curriculum for aspiring politicians, I would make them read The Trailer Park Rules — and make them write an essay on what they had learned. If they do not understand poverty, they should not get the job.
Michelle has a profound close her novel:
Believing you’re the master of your own fate is validating for the wealthy but demoralizing for the poor.
Furthering the Poverty Discussion
While I am far from “being rich,” my material needs have been covered by my income. But I had one year in my life where I was in the Daily Grind. I didn’t know it at the time, but my reasonably good life logic was not functioning well:
The Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian mockumentary about life in a trailer park. While we can laugh at the antics of Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles, we can see how they are trapped into the poverty mindset. This TV show and Michelle’s book complement each other:
Trailer Park Boys, Christianity, & the TDG
When reading The Trailor Park Rules, I could see how another $300 a month would have relieved some of the poverty edge. While some characters might not have used this stipend wisely, others would be making better life decisions. In other words, that stipend could help them rise above themselves. That’s why I am an advocate for Universal Basic Income.
There is a serious hypocrisy of western democracy. Politically speaking, the Loire Mobile Home Park will be represented by well-educated, well-dressed politicians — who are not in the Daily Grind and never will be. They know very little about poverty. These politicians will likely not be taking these citizen’s concerns into their legislatures, which, at best, will only provide band-aid solutions. Hence, those in poverty are not being represented in today’s democracies.
If my Tiered Democratic Governance were implemented, the Loire Mobile Home Park would be selecting one resident of the Park to represent the Park. That’s how the plight of the poor gets the notice it deserves.
Conclusion
If we have not been in poverty, The Trailer Park Rules can educate us.
Poverty is a terrible condition. It unnecessarily debilitates the thoughts of adults and children. So most of the poor stay poor. Western democracy seems to be less capable of dealing with this social issue.
Published on Medium 2026
