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A review by ruthypoo2
Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe by Keith O'Brien
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
What a kick-ass story about a bunch of momma bears fighting for the health of their families and their community. This is truly a tale of grassroots organization and the power of the people to hold government and big business accountable for damages done by careless practices, sometimes veering into criminal behavior, but all too often just an example of greedy indifference to the pain and suffering that can result from having only a myopic goal of profit being the bottom line.
This book tells a riveting story of how the residents of a Niagara Falls suburb found themselves plagued by illness and property damage that was hard to explain until it was linked to the unchecked dumping of toxic waste in a nearby land mass known as the Love Canal. The author, Keith O’Brien, does an excellent job recounting the history of this part of Niagara Falls and efforts starting in 1892 to build a “model city” that resulted in the creation of a canal that never was. The after effect ended up being a very large ditch with no purpose.
Over time, a community grew around the ditch, and in this same town the powerful Hooker Chemical company was located. In the early 20th Century, it was acceptable to dispose of chemicals by dumping or burying them in a landfill. The ditch that had been intended to be the Love Canal seemed well suited for this purpose, and thus, an alliance between Hooker Chemical and local government was created for a toxic waste dump to be located near a waterway and acres of property on which homes, schools, and businesses were destined to be built.
While there are many real-life people represented in this book, highlighted are the personal experiences of local housewives Lois Gibbs and Luella Kinney. The reader becomes intimately familiar with the concerns, struggles, pain, and triumphs felt by the two women and their families. They’re women you love for their heart and strength, and determination to stand up for what’s right in their own different ways. Along the journey off call out the damages done to their community by unregulated toxic dumping, there are many supporters from the science, government, and press, even those reluctant at first eventually contributed to the hard fought solution afforded to the families over time. And the book is comprehensive in explaining the role many played to either contribute to the problem or the solution.
I cannot recommend this book enough. The story is frustrating, moving, and encouraging. For me, it was a page-turner and piece of history in this country that I haven’t really been exposed to before now.
I listed to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Eileen Stevens, did a very good job with a clear voice, not overly emotional, but definitely able to convey the sense of place and personal conviction possessed by the many involved in correcting this injury to so many people. I also had the digital book and was able to view the maps and photos included in that and the physical edition.
This book tells a riveting story of how the residents of a Niagara Falls suburb found themselves plagued by illness and property damage that was hard to explain until it was linked to the unchecked dumping of toxic waste in a nearby land mass known as the Love Canal. The author, Keith O’Brien, does an excellent job recounting the history of this part of Niagara Falls and efforts starting in 1892 to build a “model city” that resulted in the creation of a canal that never was. The after effect ended up being a very large ditch with no purpose.
Over time, a community grew around the ditch, and in this same town the powerful Hooker Chemical company was located. In the early 20th Century, it was acceptable to dispose of chemicals by dumping or burying them in a landfill. The ditch that had been intended to be the Love Canal seemed well suited for this purpose, and thus, an alliance between Hooker Chemical and local government was created for a toxic waste dump to be located near a waterway and acres of property on which homes, schools, and businesses were destined to be built.
While there are many real-life people represented in this book, highlighted are the personal experiences of local housewives Lois Gibbs and Luella Kinney. The reader becomes intimately familiar with the concerns, struggles, pain, and triumphs felt by the two women and their families. They’re women you love for their heart and strength, and determination to stand up for what’s right in their own different ways. Along the journey off call out the damages done to their community by unregulated toxic dumping, there are many supporters from the science, government, and press, even those reluctant at first eventually contributed to the hard fought solution afforded to the families over time. And the book is comprehensive in explaining the role many played to either contribute to the problem or the solution.
I cannot recommend this book enough. The story is frustrating, moving, and encouraging. For me, it was a page-turner and piece of history in this country that I haven’t really been exposed to before now.
I listed to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Eileen Stevens, did a very good job with a clear voice, not overly emotional, but definitely able to convey the sense of place and personal conviction possessed by the many involved in correcting this injury to so many people. I also had the digital book and was able to view the maps and photos included in that and the physical edition.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death