Main description:

Unmasked is the story of what happened in Okoboji, a small Iowan tourist town, when a collective turn from the coronavirus to the economy occurred in the COVID summer of 2020. State political failures, local negotiations among political and public health leaders, and community (dis)belief about the virus resulted in Okoboji being declared a hotspot just before the Independence Day weekend, when an influx of half a million people visit the town.

The story is both personal and political. Author Emily Mendenhall, an anthropologist at Georgetown University, grew up in Okoboji, and her family still lives there. As the events unfolded, Mendenhall was in Okoboji, where she spoke formally with over 100 people and observed a community that rejected public health guidance, revealing deep-seated mistrust in outsiders and strong commitments to local thinking. Unmasked is a fascinating and heartbreaking account of where people put their trust, and how isolationist popular beliefs can be in America's small communities.

Contents:

A Note on Names
Prologue
Chapter 1: Global Threats
Securitize
How Did We Get Here?
Chapter 2: Locating Okoboji
The Local Response
Settlers
Middle Ground
In-Groups
Chapter 3: Opening Up
Tourism
Walleye Weekend
Memorial Day
Chapter 4: Outbreak
The Bus Incident
COVID Bay
Chapter 5: Business as Usual
Business Decisions
Modeling
Chapter 6: Shame
Do You Care about Me?
The Shame of Shutting Down
Shaming
Trade-Offs
Chapter 7: Pin Feathers
Logic of Care
Enough
Chapter 8: Fireworks
Fireworks
No Spark
Chapter 9: Community Tension
Masks
Tourist Trap
Chapter 10: Vaccine Hesitancy
Divergent Hesitancies
Chapter 11: School Board
Corona Coaster
Superintendent
Disregard of Expertise
Chapter 12: Contested
Speaking for Popular Belief
Endorsing Caution
Chapter 13: Saturday
Response
Chapter 14: Glitch
Data
Chapter 15: Fear of Missing Out
Epilogue