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mctmama 's review for:
Damnation Spring
by Ash Davidson
I was really looking forward to this debut novel - many interesting themes of right to work, the environment and the effects of herbicides on both people and nature, and a woman's rights. Set in the 1977 Damnation Spring tells the story of Rich and Colleen Gunderson and their son, Chub. Rich hails from a family of several generations of loggers, and dreams of buying a ridge to harvest some of the last Redwood trees in the area as a way to provide for his family. Colleen, Rich's wife, is struggling with her most recent pregnancy loss - one of many that she has suffered. As a midwife, she is also seeing alarming birth defects, frequent bloody noses, and more unexplained unnatural developments in local farms.
Rich makes a decision to purchase land to harvest trees without Colleen's knowledge - he is able to use their joint savings, and take a loan in his own name that affects their future as a family. Colleen meets up with a former high school love, who is now researching the water in Damnation Grove - testing for harmful herbicides and documenting birth defects and cancers. Their marriage, the town, and also local Native Americans begin to fracture with the knowledge that is gained about the Sanderson Logging Company's spraying practices.
Many of the characters, especially Eugene - Colleen's brother-in-law, were despicable. Many locals stubbornly focused on the economic effects of stopping logging, versus the long term effects of destroying the Redwoods and spraying the herbicides. It was difficult to see town's people ostracized and shunned for their belief in standing up to the lumber company. I did not enjoy a lot of these characters, even if I understood their motivations. A good book for book discussion - many topics to talk about.
Rich makes a decision to purchase land to harvest trees without Colleen's knowledge - he is able to use their joint savings, and take a loan in his own name that affects their future as a family. Colleen meets up with a former high school love, who is now researching the water in Damnation Grove - testing for harmful herbicides and documenting birth defects and cancers. Their marriage, the town, and also local Native Americans begin to fracture with the knowledge that is gained about the Sanderson Logging Company's spraying practices.
Many of the characters, especially Eugene - Colleen's brother-in-law, were despicable. Many locals stubbornly focused on the economic effects of stopping logging, versus the long term effects of destroying the Redwoods and spraying the herbicides. It was difficult to see town's people ostracized and shunned for their belief in standing up to the lumber company. I did not enjoy a lot of these characters, even if I understood their motivations. A good book for book discussion - many topics to talk about.