Abby Sallenger’s
ISLAND IN A STORM
PublicAffairs, 2009
“Sallenger goes into wonderful detail about the geography of the Last Island, how and when it formed and what happened to it in the storm... [R]eally good book. "
-- Greg Langley, Baton Rouge Advocate
“[T]he book unwinds compelling narrative about life in mid-1800s Louisiana, the storm itself, all while integrating an important public policy message about the vulnerability of living on unprotected coastlines. [A] finely written narrative, I highly recommend the book.”
-- Eric Berger, Houston Chronicle, SciGuy Blog
“Rarely does a book combine fascinating story-telling, regional history, and a science lesson in one compelling package. Island in a Storm does just that. The tale is more than 150 years old, but there are real lessons to be learned for coastal communities on today’s vulnerable barrier islands.”
-- Robert S. Young PhD, director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University, co-author of The Rising Sea
“Island in a Storm tells the riveting story of one of America's greatest hurricane disasters--the ravaging of Louisiana's Isle Derniere by the notorious Last Island Hurricane of 1856. ... Sallenger's first-class story-telling of the remarkable tales of survival make this a book well worth reading.”
-- Jeff Masters, PhD, Director of Meteorology, Weather Underground, Wunder Blog
“[A]n absorbing book that reads more like fiction than fact. The book is a great read for geo-novices, fans of science history and anyone who likes a good adventure tale... Sallenger’s... discussions on a range of scientific topics — from how the Mississippi River Delta formed to how barrier islands evolve to how scientists unraveled the mysteries of hurricanes — are explained in such plain language that nonscientists may not even realize they are learning the basics of coastal geology.”
-- Erin R. Wayman, Earth Magazine
“Abby Sallenger expertly combines the history of a hurricane and its disastrous impact with the fascinating science of hurricanes and coastal geology. He illustrates the dangers that a rising sea, a subsiding coast, and hurricanes pose to populated shores, and with a loud wake up call, he warns policymakers and home owners who insist on building or rebuilding on barrier islands.”
-- Ellen Prager, PhD, chief scientist, Aquarius Reef Base and author of Chasing Science at Sea
“This is a wonderful book, a must-read for anyone interested in our future, which shows how historic tragedies can be lessons, especially as climate change speeds along its merry way.”
-- Ivor van Heerden, PhD, deputy director, LSU Hurricane Center, and author of The Storm: What Went Wrong and Why During Hurricane Katrina—the Inside Story from One Louisiana Scientist
“A masterful page-turner juxtaposing the remarkable parallel tales of the survival by a 19th century Creole maiden of a catastrophic hurricane with the staggering geological perils confronting the residents of the fragile Gulf coastline today.”
-- Bethany Ewald Bultman, author of Reflections of the South, Compass New Orleans, and Compass Gulf South, and the descendent of thirteen victims of the 1856 Isle Dernier Hurricane
“One of the best parts of this book was the connection I felt to the characters. Knowing that they were real people, and that they had LIVED through this hurricane, made the pages turn even faster. I could hardly put it down, and took it with me everywhere until I finished it (within a DAY! YES, it is that good). One thing that good writing possesses is the ability to draw the reader in. This book has it in spades.”
-- Dr. Jessie Voigts, Wandering Educators, Book Reviews, wanderingeducators.com
FEATURES:
New York Times, September 1, 2009:
NPR Morning Edition, June 1, 2009:
REVIEWS:
"In ISLAND IN A STORM one of America's top oceanographers -- Abby Sallenger -- documents the perils of coastal erosion. Using Isle Derniere as case-study, Sallenger brilliantly explains what happens when the sea rises and land disappears. A very important book!"
-- Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History, Rice University and author of The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
“[F]ast-moving narrative... He makes it all vivid and immediate and very human..."
-- Susan Larson, New Orleans Times Picayune
"Sallenger provid(es) us with a window into the tragedy as if we are standing on the beach feeling the sand sting our eyes and the waters rise up our bodies... It's a riveting account of a horrible disaster."
-- Chere Coen, Lafayette Advertiser
