Thestaggeringstoryofanunlikelybandofmothersinthe1970swhodiscoveredHookerChemical’sdeadlysecretofLoveCanal--exposingoneofAmerica’smostdevastatingtoxicwastedisastersandsparkingthemodernenvironmentalmovementasweknowittoday.“Propulsive...Amightyworkofhistoricaljournalism...Agloriousquotidianthrilleraboutpeopleforcedtofindandusetheirinnerstrength.“--TheBostonGlobeLoisGibbs,LuellaKenny,andothermotherslovedtheirneighborhoodontheeastsideofNiagaraFalls.Ithadanelementaryschool,aplayground,androwsofaffordablehomes.Butinthespringof1977,pungentodorsbegantoseepintotheselittlehouses,anditdidn’ttakelongforworriedmotherstoidentifythecuriousscent.Itwasthesicklysweetsmellofchemicals.Inthispropulsiveworkofnarrativestorytelling,NYTjournalistKeithO’BrienuncovershowGibbsandKennyexposedthepoisonoussecretsburiedintheirneighborhood.Theschoolandplaygroundhadbeenbuiltatopanoldcanal--LoveCanal,itwascalled--thatHookerChemical,thecity’slargestemployer,hadquietlyfilledwithtwentythousandtonsoftoxicwasteinthe1940sand1950s.Thiswastewasnowleachingtothesurface,causingapublichealthcrisisthelikesofwhichAmericahadneverseenbeforeandsparkingnewandspecificfears.LuellaKennybelievedthechemicalsweremakinghersonsick.O’BrienbraidstogetherpreviouslyunknownstoriesofHookerChemical’sdeeds;thelocalnewspaperman,scientist,andcongressionalstafferwhotriedtohelp;thecityandstateofficialswhodidn’t;andtheheroicwomenwhostooduptocorporateandgovernmentalindifferencetosavetheirfamiliesandtheirchildren.Theywouldtaketheirfightallthewaytothetop,winningsupportfromtheEPA,theWhiteHouse,andevenPresidentJimmyCarter.Bythetimeitwasover,theywouldcaptureAmerica’simagination.Sweepingandelectrifying,ParadiseFallsbringstolifeadefiningstoryfromourpast,layingbarethedauntlesseffortsofafewwomenwho--yearsbeforeErinBrockovichtookupthemantle--foughttorescuetheircommunityandtheirlivesfromtheeffectsofcorporatepollutionandlaidfoundationforthemodernenvironmentalmovementasweknowittoday.
