FALL-WINTER 2025-26 PICK
“This book is captivating because it uncovers how the wholesome entertainment of Branson, Missouri, became a powerful and subtle force for American conservatism, revealing a surprising connection between family-friendly fun and national politics.”
Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America by Joanna Dee Das
Publisher Description: Sons of Britches. The Great American Chuckwagon Dinner Show. The Haygoods. The Grand Jubilee. These are just a couple of the many shows performed in Branson, MO, where the seemingly innocent entertainment fuels American conservatism. Branson, Missouri, the Ozark Mountain mecca of wholesome entertainment, has been home to countless stage shows espousing patriotism and Christianity, welcoming over ten million visitors a year. Some consider it “God’s Country” and others “as close to Hell as anything on Earth.”
How to present this to library customers: To promote Faith, Family, and Flag, create a program or display that explores how destinations like Branson cement cultural ideals through music and performance. Encourage patrons to consider how gathering around a shared vision of "wholesome entertainment" helps to define and shape a particular version of America.
Audience Key:
NOVICE:
A patron who does not know about the arts but is looking for new interests. These items are for public collections that call for you to introduce the arts to patrons and ignite their interests. They often know much more about popular culture than what’s happening in the arts.
EXPLORER:
These items are for customers who have some knowledge of the arts and want to learn more. Oftentimes these patrons stream music from your music streaming service, take out music and art biographies and they may attend music and art programming at your library.
AFICIONADO:
Ordering for aficionados requires knowledge about their habits when consuming the arts. These patrons are aware of the arts through museums, classical music, jazz and more. Oftentimes, these patrons attend music and art programming at your library, are professionals in the arts world with thorough knowledge of visual and/or performing arts.