Alva Review-Courier -

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas writer who grew up in poverty is releasing a memoir she hopes will shine a light on an often-ignored part of the American landscape.

Sarah Smarsh's book "Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth" is scheduled for nationwide release Tuesday. The book is listed as a contender in this year's National Book Award for Nonfiction, the Wichita Eagle reported .

Smarsh, 38, said she chronicled her turbulent childhood in rural Kansas because such stories often go unnoticed. She comes from a long line of teen mothers, which she said...