The Middle of Everything is a collection of personal essays about language, place, and memory. The thesis is framed by stories of Alzheimer's disease and divided into sections that travel to different places to consider what memories, stories, and people are important. The settings of the essays range from Wisconsin to Spain, from Iowa to Mexico, and the narrator explores the relationship between people and places, the way place influences individuals and the way individuals impact place. The collection is also a personal journey about learning to deal with losses and about learning what home means. It explores personal history alongside the history of cities and societies.