Published by Pantheon, Keith O’Brien, 480 pages, Social Activist Biographies, Available April 12, 2022
ABOUT THE BOOK
The staggering story of an unlikely band of mothers in the 1970s who discovered Hooker Chemical’s deadly secret of Love Canal—exposing one of America’s most devastating toxic waste disasters and sparking the modern environmental movement as we know it today.
Lois Gibbs, Luella Kenny, and other mothers loved their neighborhood on the east side of Niagara Falls. It had an elementary school, a playground, and rows of affordable homes. But in the spring of 1977, pungent odors began to seep into these little houses, and it didn’t take long for worried mothers to identify the curious scent. It was the sickly sweet smell of chemicals.
In this propulsive work of narrative storytelling, NYT journalist Keith O’Brien uncovers how Gibbs and Kenny exposed the poisonous secrets buried in their neighborhood. The school and playground had been built atop an old canal—Love Canal, it was called—that Hooker Chemical, the city’s largest employer, had quietly filled with twenty thousand tons of toxic waste in the 1940s and 1950s. This waste was now leaching to the surface, causing a public health crisis the likes of which America had never seen before and sparking new and specific fears. Luella Kenny believed the chemicals were making her son sick.
O’Brien braids together previously unknown stories of Hooker Chemical’s deeds; the local newspaperman, scientist, and congressional staffer who tried to help; the city and state officials who didn’t; and the heroic women who stood up to corporate and governmental indifference to save their families and their children. They would take their fight all the way to the top, winning support from the EPA, the White House, and even President Jimmy Carter. By the time it was over, they would capture America’s imagination.
Sweeping and electrifying, Paradise Falls brings to life a defining story from our past, laying bare the dauntless efforts of a few women who—years before Erin Brockovich took up the mantle— fought to rescue their community and their lives from the effects of corporate pollution and laid foundation for the modern environmental movement as we know it today.
- Paradise Falls by Keith O’Brien
- Published 4/12/2022
- 480 Pages
- 4⭐/5
My Thoughts
This is a book that will hold your attention as your mouth drops open.
O’Brien provides a well-researched book regarding the citizen-activists who addressed the environmental disaster near Niagara Falls, N.Y.
It seems in the 1940s and early 1950s Hooker Chemical secretly dumped toxic chemical byproducts into a trench from an abandoned canal project.
Then in the 1970s people living in that area started noticing chemical smells, rocks that seemed to catch on fire, horrible health concerns, and much more. But how much longer would it take for voices to be heard?
I found this to be thorough, informational, and mind-boggling. Though I don’t know why bind-boggling. In far too many cases, it seems greed takes precedence over human life.
The book cover is perfect, and the story is well written.
Concerns
There are so many people involved in this well-researched book that at times I felt a bit overwhelmed by names and facts. (Which also can be indications of a wonderful book.)
Final Thoughts
Excellent writing and facts worth learning about. And while there is a lot covered O’Brien spends a lot of time on the women at Love Canal, telling their stories. And their fight.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Miya on Goodreads since it describes my feelings so well about this book, “Super interesting, infuriating, and inspiring.”
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ability to read an early copy (though I’m posting a bit late) and the ability to post my thoughts.
About the Author
KEITH O’BRIEN has written for The New York Times, Politico, and The Boston Globe. A longtime contributor to National Public Radio, he has appeared on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and This American Life, among other programs. He lives in New Hampshire. Follow him on Twitter @KeithOB.
If you purchase through the links in this post, I may earn a small commission. This helps support Pick a Good Book and allows us to continue bringing you great content.
Get Well Soon Teddy Bear Gift Set
from: Canterberry Gifts
Mother’s Day Flower Pot of Edible cookies
Mother’s Day Vanilla Spa Care Package
