Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Paradise Falls:
An entirely different kind of sightseeing.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the environmental disaster at Love Canal, NY.
Fact for Non-History People:
The chemical company at the center of this story sold contaminated land to board of education for $1… so the board could build a school on top of it.
Fact for History Nerds:
82 different chemical compounds would be found when the ground was tested later. 11 were already known human carcinogens.
My Take on Paradise Falls:
Oh, Love Canal. One of the funniest town names in America and also the site of one the worst environmental disasters, too. If you have ever heard the term “Superfund Site” and were thoroughly confused, then Paradise Falls by Keith O’Brien is the perfect book for you. It’s also the perfect book for you if you love great writing, working class people taking on amoral corporations, and politicians being politicians.
O’Brien tells the story masterfully and deliberately. This is not a book which is constantly throwing curve balls at you to ratchet up the drama. Instead, O’Brien just tells the story. This can be a recipe for disaster if the author focuses on the wrong things, but O’Brien has no issues in that respect. His prose is simply compelling without being over-dramatic and he lets his subjects shine. Just as importantly, he doesn’t lionize anyone, either. Lois Gibbs, for instance, does some heroic things in this book. However, O’Brien doesn’t shy away from pointing out that there were numerous detractors as well. It’s this attention to detail without slowing the narrative that kept me hooked and literally made me lose sleep. Not because I live near a Superfund Site but because I wanted to keep reading.
The book is fantastic, and anyone will enjoy it.
Verdict:
An amazing story told perfectly. Buy it here!
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