Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith In Troubled Times

Published when Studs Terkel was ninety-one years old, Hope Dies Last is an oral history exploring the subject of hope: where it comes from, its essential qualities, and how to sustain it during difficult times. The book presents an alternative chronicle of the American century through interviews with various individuals. Terkel's subjects include a former death row inmate who spent nearly twenty years imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and continues fighting for justice; Tom Hayden, author of The Port Huron Statement, reflecting on 1960s student activism; economist John Kenneth Galbraith discussing corporate malfeasance; a doctor who teaches compassion to students; and a retired brigadier general who flew the Enola Gay over Hiroshima. Through these conversations, the interviews examine the American dream and the efforts of individuals advocating for a better world. The collection presents personal accounts of hope and dreams, told with what the source describes as eloquence and conviction. Together, the interviews form a narrative about optimism and persistence across a range of human experiences.