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A review by dallas_shattuck
Desperate: An Epic Battle for Clean Water and Justice in Appalachia by Kris Maher, Kris Maher
4.0
I decided to read Desperate last month, in honor of World Water Week! Huge thanks to @scribnerbooks, @netgalley for the #gifted review copy!
Desperate recounts the work of environmental lawyer Kevin Thompson as he worked with residents in the “Forgotten Communities” of Mingo County, West Virginia as they sued one of the largest and most powerful coal companies in the state. For decades, the drinking water in residents’ private wells was contaminated with coal slurry and caused significant health and property damage.
This work of investigative journalism was a great account into this legal battle against Massey Coal and CEO, Don Blankenship. Safe and reliable drinking water access is a huge issue for me and one I work on daily, so I was very excited to read this book!
You’ll feel a variety of emotions during this book—from sadness at the amount of pain these communities have endured to anger at the coal company and their many tactics to avoid responsibility.
I’m always inspired by environmental lawyers, and Kevin Thompson and his team are no exception to that. While this story didn’t have the “flashy” outcome you’d likely see in a movie, he did what was best for the community and has spent YEARS helping communities in West Virginia address environmental concerns and dangers.
Overall, I think this is a great piece of investigative journalism! I think some sections of the book could’ve been excluded or trimmed down (the history of the Hatfields and McCoy’s, Blankenship’s entire history), but others might enjoy the more in-depth historical information.
Desperate recounts the work of environmental lawyer Kevin Thompson as he worked with residents in the “Forgotten Communities” of Mingo County, West Virginia as they sued one of the largest and most powerful coal companies in the state. For decades, the drinking water in residents’ private wells was contaminated with coal slurry and caused significant health and property damage.
This work of investigative journalism was a great account into this legal battle against Massey Coal and CEO, Don Blankenship. Safe and reliable drinking water access is a huge issue for me and one I work on daily, so I was very excited to read this book!
You’ll feel a variety of emotions during this book—from sadness at the amount of pain these communities have endured to anger at the coal company and their many tactics to avoid responsibility.
I’m always inspired by environmental lawyers, and Kevin Thompson and his team are no exception to that. While this story didn’t have the “flashy” outcome you’d likely see in a movie, he did what was best for the community and has spent YEARS helping communities in West Virginia address environmental concerns and dangers.
Overall, I think this is a great piece of investigative journalism! I think some sections of the book could’ve been excluded or trimmed down (the history of the Hatfields and McCoy’s, Blankenship’s entire history), but others might enjoy the more in-depth historical information.