*** Eric Hoffer Award FinalistIndependent Publisher Awards: Silver, Best Regional Fiction–Mid-AtlanticNational Indie Excellence Awards: WINNER– Literary Fiction***Historic, environmental drama wrapped in a love story…It’s 1948 in the steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous “killing smog.” Public health nurse, Rose Pavlesic, has risen above her orphaned upbringing and created a … health nurse, Rose Pavlesic, has risen above her orphaned upbringing and created a life that reflects everything she missed as a child. She’s even managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from her doting husband, loving children, and large extended family.
When a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she never could have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life, making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As pressure mounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the whole town—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family’s healing begin?
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Based on true events, a nurse with an abusive background tries to direct the lives of her teenage children while the steel mills create a killing smog, endangering an entire community.
This is the first book I’ve read by the fabulous Kathleen Shoop, but it won’t be my last. I love how she wove details of a real event into her story, and made it come alive. I listened to the audio version of this book, and it was very well done. Excellent writing, fantastically detailed research, and a wonderful story.
I thought the premise of this book was very interesting. Life for those in steel towns was far from and easy and the pollution of those towns and the harm it caused its inhabitants was tragic.
I read this because I’m originally a Pennsylvania native. It was interesting how the whole plot unfolded. I highly recommend it.
This was a good book. I enjoyed getting attached to the characters and didn’t want to put it down to the very end
Excellent writing, very moving characters with an interesting topic, kept my attention through every page. One of the best I’ve ever reviewed.
As a lifelong Pittsburgh area resident,I found it interesting. I had heard about the Donora pollution problems but this book made it real.
This book is amazing! Centered around a real tragic event in the history of Donora, PA in 1948, I was surprised I had never heard of it – the killing smog-fog. Not being from the area, and not understanding the industry that drove the livelihood and economy of the area, steel mills; the pollution these mills could produce had never crossed my …
Interesting for it’s historical value and what occurred in Pennsylvania. The book itself was on the dark side as there was no way out for these people. Not for light readers.
Is a fictional story about people during an “air pollution” event in Pennsylvania in the 40s. Realistic details provided about life at that time. Depressing.
Very informative about a town close to where I grew up.
Interesting, different.
I enjoyed reading how life’s twist and turns affected this Nurse and shaped her life
I tried. I think there is some really interesting history, about life in general and nursing in particular, in the book. But that wasn’t enough to overcome a lack of likable characters and a very slow story. I am too old to spend time on books that aren’t really holding my interest. I gave up.
This book touched many issues: the plight of unmarried and married women, the struggle between education and the need to provide economic sustenance, and the societal struggle history teaches the future.
refreshing
If your interested in the life and history of a steel mill town. This one covers it all including all the environmental disasters that includes. Before the EPA there was Danora Pennsylvania.
I liked its historical references to all actual events in our history and cost of the industrial waste and cost to the laborers health, which is still an issue today.
I couldn’t even imagine living under these conditions. I was having a hard time breathing just reading it.
The amazing life of Rose who was a nurse who treated people at their homes. The air was dangerous to all the people who lived in Donora from the mills!!!!