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If you had to decide whether a person should live or die, what would you do? This is the central theme of Five Days at Memorial, a gripping account of how doctors, nurses and their patients at one New Orleans hospital endured unbearable conditions after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. Flooding, loss of electricity, sweltering heat, dwindling medical supplies and anarchy in the streets were among the issues confronting doctors and nurses at Memorial Medical Center. The situation eventually deteriorated far enough that some hospital workers were placed in the unenviable position of deciding whether to let critically ill patients suffer, or hasten their deaths. They chose to administer morphine and other drugs, ending the lives of at least 18 patients.

Five Days at Memorial chronicles the events leading up to these deaths, and the ensuing criminal investigation and trial of those deemed responsible. In the five days after the hurricane devastated the city, the hospital’s power failed, as did its generators. The lack of air conditioning added to patients’ suffering. Delays on the part of the corporation that owned the hospital slowed an evacuation, as did confusion among the various local, state and federal agencies trying to manage the crisis. So there lay the severely ill, without medication or hope of rescue. For some doctors and nurses, euthanasia seemed the only choice.

The original story that became Five Days at Memorial was co-published in the New York Times and ProPublica, and won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Journalist Sheri Fink is a dogged researcher, a thorough interviewer and a gifted writer who turns nonfiction into lively prose. The characters she writes about are real, but their unbelievable circumstances make the book read like a work of fiction.

Readers will come away with a greater understanding of the difficult circumstances residents of New Orleans faced during Katrina, and will also confront important moral and ethical questions. Fink asks us to consider: If we had been there during those dark, desperate days at Memorial, would we have made a different choice?

Nonfiction

Nonfiction

The stars are going out

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

Paul Bogard is afraid of the dark. But he’s more afraid of losing the dark.

His book, The End of Night, examines how we are slowly losing our ability to enjoy the night skies because of the spread of artificial light. The glare of commercial signage, billboards, parking lot lampposts and other sources of light pollution means that 80 percent of American children will never experience a sky dark enough to see the Milky Way, Bogard writes. The human race prides itself on having conquered darkness, that mysterious abyss that is home to werewolves, vampires and other scary monsters. But the urge to shed light on every dark corner is another way in which we humans have separated ourselves from nature.

The concern is more than just aesthetic. Bogard warns of health issues for people exposed to artificial light at night, including sleep disorders, diabetes and cancer. And other species, such as bats and moths, are in danger because of increased artificial light. “We are just beginning to understand night’s natural darkness has always been invaluable for our health and the health of the natural world, and every living creature suffers from its loss,” he writes.

So Bogard embarks on a road trip across the globe in search of darkness. It takes him from the world headquarters of light pollution, Las Vegas, to Paris, the “City of Light,” to Death Valley in California, one of the darkest places on Earth. Along his journey, he hangs out with casino gamblers, national park rangers, night-shift workers and stargazers to get their take on the night. One of Bogard’s more entertaining encounters with darkness is his after-hours trespass onto Walden Pond State Reservation in Massachusetts, where he tries to experience the night Henry David Thoreau experienced in the writing of Walden. He also returns to a lake in his native Minnesota, where he tries to overcome his lifelong fear of darkness by walking a gravel road at night.

Bogard makes some convincing points as to why we need to embrace the dark and halt the march of artificial light (although I believe he falls short in his argument that increased light at night does not improve safety). At the end of the day, The End of Night enhances our appreciation of the beauty of a starry night.

Paul Bogard is afraid of the dark. But he’s more afraid of losing the dark.

His book, The End of Night, examines how we are slowly losing our ability to enjoy the night skies because of the spread of artificial light. The glare of commercial signage,…

American History, History, Nonfiction

Nonfiction History American History

Unrecognized heroes of the American Revolution

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

Since elementary school, we’ve been told that the American Revolution was the work of such luminaries as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. But there were a number of other patriots who’ve long been neglected by the history books, and it is time to give them their due. This is the premise of Nathaniel Philbrick’s Bunker Hill, a marvelous book that recaps the highlights of the birth of our nation, while adding new insights into our history.

We know from our history lessons that on June 17, 1775, a group of inexperienced colonists repelled two assaults by highly trained British forces on Bunker Hill and adjoining Breed’s Hill. The colonists were scattered on the third assault, but the British suffered heavy casualties, and Bunker Hill became a symbol of the grit and determination of the colonists and their struggle for independence.

As in his previous books, including the bestsellers Mayflower and In the Heart of the Sea, Philbrick immerses himself in his subject; like a detective, he doesn’t quit until every stone is turned. He writes of the Battle of Bunker Hill in rich detail and gives credit to such heroes as Colonel William Prescott, Colonel John Stark and General Israel Putnam. But Bunker Hill isn’t a book about one battle. It also covers other important aspects of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere’s Ride. And in telling these tales, Philbrick places the spotlight on heroes who rarely get proper credit.

Consider Dr. Joseph Warren, who was the field commander at Bunker Hill and who lost his life in the third assault by the British. Warren was a key figure in Boston, and the one who gave Revere his orders on April 18, 1775, to mount his horse and warn the colonists of the arrival of the British. Another strong figure was Mercy Scollay, Warren’s fiancée, who cared for his four orphaned children after his death.

Bunker Hill helps humanize history, bringing to life characters that we’ve heretofore only known as two-dimensional figures, if at all. It will appeal equally to both serious history buffs and casual readers looking for something lively and enlightening.

Memoir, Nonfiction

Nonfiction Memoir

The beauty of a simple life

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

By all appearances, Rod Dreher had a wonderful life. He had a successful career as a journalist; his writing appeared in The Dallas Morning News, The New York Post and The American Conservative; and he had published a book as well. But Dreher felt an emptiness in his life when his younger sister, Ruthie Leming, was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 40. Suddenly, Dreher felt the tug of his hometown: St. Francisville, Louisiana, a small community whose residents were rallying around Ruthie in her time of need. So Dreher took his wife and three children and moved home to help care for his sister and reconnect with his roots.

Ruthie Leming’s life may not have been as glamorous as her brother’s, but in many ways, Dreher finds it more meaningful. She was a popular schoolteacher, a loving mother of three and a devoted wife to her high school sweetheart. While her brother fled their town of 1,700 people, Ruthie stayed home. Her energy and enthusiasm touched people’s lives, and when she got sick, they responded with caring and love.

“Ruthie transfigured this town in my eyes,” Dreher writes. “Her suffering and death made me see the good that I couldn’t see before. The same communal bonds that appeared to me as chains all those years ago had become my Louisiana family’s lifelines.” Yet coming home to the town—and the family—he left behind isn’t always easy; resentments linger, and some wounds heal more quickly than others.

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming reminds us of the importance of love, faith and family. And while it deals in death, this book shows us that it is, indeed, a wonderful life.

Education, Nonfiction

Nonfiction Education

New Orleans, a model for education reform

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

At the time of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans, like many large cities in the U.S., had been mired for years in a school system broken by financial woes, inner-city crime, student discipline problems and low graduation rates. When Katrina flooded most of the schools, it offered the city the chance to reinvent its crumbling educational system, essentially starting with a clean slate. Most of the city’s schools were taken over by the Recovery School District (a statewide district created in 2003 with the intention of turning around troubled schools), which applied radical new strategies to education, including handing many schools over to charter operators.

Sarah Carr examines how well the experiment has worked in her new book, Hope Against Hope. The veteran journalist explores how the charter schools attempt to bring a fresh approach to a school system that has decayed over the decades. What Carr discovers is that while the schools are brand new, all the other factors affecting the education system remain the same: children living in poverty; dysfunctional families; gang and drug problems.

What makes Hope Against Hope more than a dry sociological study is Carr’s decision to view the situation through the eyes of three people with a stake in the outcome: a principal, a teacher and a student. This approach humanizes the story, and places Hope Against Hope in the same class as other groundbreaking books such as Jonathan Kozol’s Savage Inequalities and Alex Kotlowitz’s There Are No Children Here.

The three protagonists in Hope Against Hope are Mary Laurie, principal of O. Perry Walker High School; Aidan Kelly, a teacher at SCI Academy; and Geraldlynn Stewart, a 14-year-old student at KIPP Renaissance High School. What all three soon discover is that reinvention doesn’t necessarily translate into renaissance. There are plenty of struggles. Laurie, an African-American woman who has spent her whole life in New Orleans, witnesses current and former students killed in gang crossfire. Kelly, a young, white Ivy League graduate, slowly loses his innocence and enthusiasm. Stewart, a bright African-American girl with college aspirations, finds it hard to focus on school when she sees crime on her neighborhood streets and a lack of discipline in her classroom.

But as the book’s title suggests, there is hope here: Despite the challenges they face, Laurie, Kelly and Stewart carry on. Just as the overhaul of the New Orleans school system is no quick fix, the principal, teacher and student are intent on succeeding against all odds, no matter how hard the struggle, or how long it may take.

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality

Nonfiction Religion & Spirituality

A defining look at Scientology

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

What do Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes and Kirstie Alley have in common? Yes, they are all celebrities. But they have also been linked to the Church of Scientology, a controversial religion that some critics call a cult. And there are plenty of juicy stories about these and other celebrities in Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief.

The book is an in-depth examination of a mysterious, murky religion that, despite its relatively small membership, “plays an outsize role in the cast of new religions,” says Wright. The Church of Scientology attracts a lot of attention by aggressively courting celebrities. In Going Clear, we read of Cruise being recruited by the church, and how his girlfriends and wives, Kidman and Holmes among them, are indoctrinated, only to later leave Cruise, and Scientology, behind. Then there is Travolta, who displays his devotion to Scientology by starring in the movie Battlefield Earth, based on the science fiction novel of the same name by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Going Clear is much more than a celebrity tell-all, however. Wright is a gifted writer for The New Yorker, whose deep and thorough reporting won him the Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower, an investigation of al-??Qaeda and 9/11. Going Clear doesn’t simply recast stories about celebrities and Scientology, but takes us inside the organization via interviews with former church members and through research that most notably includes the writings of Hubbard.

We learn how this mildly successful sci-fi writer became an overnight sensation in 1950 when he published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. The self-help book explained how humans can improve their lives by ridding themselves of painful memories and emotions buried in the subconscious. The book became a bestseller and inspired Hubbard to establish the Church of Scientology. Wright describes how a seemingly plausible self-improvement theory became more complicated when Hubbard began hooking church members up to an E-Meter—tin cans affixed to the ears, with wires running to an electrical conductor—in an attempt to release the bad thoughts inside the brain. And we learn that Hubbard, who always had a fascination with Hollywood, made a conscious effort to attract movie stars to Scientology in order to boost its profile.

If you have been intrigued by the exploits of Cruise, Travolta and other celebrities with Scientology ties, or have ever wondered what the religion is all about, then Going Clear is a must-read. Wright treats the subject with intelligence, objectivity and careful research, making it the definitive book on the history and practice of Scientology.

Nonfiction

Nonfiction

Made of star stuff

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

The biblical passage, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return,” is a poignant reminder of our fragile place in the world. It also reminds us how deeply we are connected to the earth, the water, the air and to the other creatures who roam the land. Neil Shubin’s The Universe Within is a further reminder of this critical relationship.

At a time when we pay increasing attention to the effects of our actions on the planet, The Universe Within also reveals how the universe has had a huge impact on the development of the human race. For example, many scientists believe that our universe was created by the Big Bang. Shubin writes that atoms from the Big Bang can be found in our air, our water and inside of us, as a sort of recycling process for the ages. “The particles that make us,” Shubin writes, “have traveled billions of years across the universe; long after we and our planet are gone, they will be a part of other worlds.”

Once Shubin establishes his thesis that we humans and our universe are made of the same tiny particles, it’s easy to accept his arguments for how we are connected in other ways. Consider that humans are made up mostly of water, which also covers most of our earth; or look at Shubin’s illustration of the strong likenesses even among wildly diverse creatures, such as the strikingly similar shapes of the leg bones of an elephant and a mouse.

The Universe Within gives us an appreciation of how we are just small specks and small moments in time. But it also challenges us to take steps to protect our environment so our world can last a little longer.

History, Nonfiction

Nonfiction History

A genius and his most famous work

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

When you read Leonardo and The Last Supper by Ross King, you can’t help but think of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Both books deal with Leonardo Da Vinci and his famous painting, “The Last Supper”; but where Brown’s book relies on suspense, the strength of King’s book is in its scholarship. Still, having read The Da Vinci Code only added to my enjoyment of Leonardo and The Last Supper.

There is much mystery behind this masterful painting, in part because of Leonardo’s reputation as a heretic, but also because the faded fresco contains the spectral images of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, allowing us to interpret their placement at the table, their gestures and their facial expressions. This is what makes any book on “The Last Supper” so enjoyable, and King’s book doesn’t disappoint. First, we learn about Leonardo’s life. By the time he began working on “The Last Supper,” he was suffering a sort of midlife crisis. His work on a 75-ton bronze horse was suspended when the bronze was melted and made into cannons to help Italy thwart an invasion by France. The commission to paint “The Last Supper” on the wall of a Dominican convent seemed like small compensation at the time. But Leonardo forged ahead, taking three years to complete what would become a masterpiece equal in acclaim to his “Mona Lisa.”

As for the mysteries within “The Last Supper,” King has a good time exploring Leonardo’s use of mathematics and geometry to bring symmetry and perspective to the painting. And for Dan Brown fans, King spends considerable time delving into the “clues” contained in the placement of the Apostles at the supper table, their facial expressions, the shape and location of their hands and the type of food and drink being served. Among his conclusions: Two of the Apostles were modeled after Leonardo himself, and the food reflects the artist’s vegetarian leanings. One of the most delightful chapters in the book is King’s playful debate with The Da Vinci Code’s claim that one of the disciples in “The Last Supper” was actually a woman—Mary Magdalene, to be exact. I won’t spoil things by giving away his bold conclusion.

I highly recommend Leonardo and The Last Supper, whether you are a serious scholar of art, history or religion, or a casual reader who happens to enjoy all of the puzzles and mysteries that lie behind Leonardo and “The Last Supper.”

History, Nonfiction

Nonfiction History

The real-life Count of Monte Cristo

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic tale of betrayal and revenge, penned by the renowned 19th-century author Alexandre Dumas. But it turns out the novel is not merely fiction; key plot developments were based on the true-life experiences of the author’s father. This is the premise of The Black Count, a new book by Tom Reiss that traces the incredible rise and precipitous fall of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, the father of author Alexandre Dumas.

In many ways, the life of the elder Dumas mirrors that of Edmond Dantes, the hero of The Count of Monte Cristo. In the novel, Dantes is falsely accused of being a supporter of Napoleon, who has been exiled from France. Dantes is imprisoned for 14 years before escaping and enacting revenge on his accusers.

While some occurrences in Thomas-Alexandre Dumas’ life were not as dramatic as those of the fictional Dantes, other aspects were even more remarkable. Dumas was born in present-day Haiti to a French nobleman and a black slave. Brought to France by his father, the mixed-race Dumas became a general under Napoleon Bonaparte.

But General Dumas’ fortunes abruptly changed. He was captured in Italy, thrown into a dungeon and left to rot. Though he was finally released, he died impoverished and embittered. Perhaps his revenge was achieved with his son’s writing of The Count of Monte Cristo, which takes a critical look at France’s tumultuous political climate.

The Black Count is a thoroughly researched, lively piece of nonfiction that will be savored by fans of Alexandre Dumas. But The Black Count needs no partner: It is fascinating enough to stand on its own.

Memoir

Memoir

Hard memories from the author of ‘Jarhead’

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

Join Anthony Swofford on his journey toward true manhood. Hotels, Hospitals, and Jails is a road-trip book, an account of Swofford’s cross-country trip with his father in a 44-foot-long RV. The physical trip is a distance of 1,000 miles. The spiritual trip they make is immeasurable.

At the beginning of the excursion, Swofford believes that a true man is a warrior, both on the battlefield and in bed. The ex-Marine was a scout/sniper in the first Gulf War. He turned his experiences into the bestseller Jarhead, which later became a movie. Flush with success from those projects, Swofford parachuted from his first marriage and embarked on an extended period of debauchery. He traveled the world, drinking too much, using too many recreational drugs and sleeping with too many women. Then he got a call from his father, who told him he was dying of lung disease.

When Swofford visits, we learn that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It turns out his father, a Vietnam veteran, was a chain smoker, a hard drinker and a womanizer. Swofford has never forgiven his father for his infidelity to his wife and his strict discipline with his children. In one vivid scene, Swofford recounts how as a young child, when he failed to clean up the dog droppings in the backyard, his dad grabbed his neck and shoved his nose in it. Swofford shares his anger, resentment and disappointment with his father on the RV ride, and by the end of the adventure, he has forgiven his father for his shortcomings. It is now time for Swofford to grow up and stop taking a reckless path similar to his father’s.

Hotels, Hospitals, and Jails is a powerful and sometimes painful book to read. The writing is short, staccato and rhythmic. More importantly, it’s honest. Swofford doesn’t spare anyone in his account, not his lovers, not his family, not himself. He paints himself as a fast-living philanderer and a failure at being human. Fortunately, he is a studious traveler, and the journey ends on a hopeful note, with Swofford learning lessons from his dying father on how to lead a more meaningful life.

History, Military History

Military History History

Love letters from the Gulag

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

Lev and Svetlana Mishchenko are proof that love can conquer all, even war, imprisonment and torture. For eight years, the couple wrote weekly love letters to each other while Lev was locked in a Soviet Gulag. Their story is remarkable for a variety of reasons. First, consider how Svetlana maintained her love for Lev and waited for his release, even though she was denied access to the man she loved. Consider how the pair were able to share their feelings of love and longing even though most letters in and out of the Gulag usually were heavily censored. Finally, consider how these yellowing, hand-written letters were preserved and now are archived in the Memorial in Moscow. These letters are not only a testimonial to the love between a young couple, but also a detailed account of life in the Gulag during Russia’s darkest years.

Author Orlando Figes brings the story of Lev and Svetlana Mishchenko to life in his powerful new book, Just Send Me Word. Figes is an accomplished historian and author, and his latest book compares favorably to such important prison camp accounts as Night by Elie Wiesel and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

The life of Lev Mishchenko is an astounding tale in itself. He was a young man when he met and fell in love with Svetlana. By the time he was finishing his university studies, World War II was in full rage, and in 1941, he enlisted in the Soviet army. Not long afterward, he was captured by the Germans and sent to a series of concentration camps, including the infamous camp in Buchenwald. Svetlana grew morose when two years went by without word of whether Lev was alive. Even after she learned he was a German prisoner, it would be another three years before her first letter reached him. After four years in German camps, Lev was liberated by the Americans. On an arduous hike back home, he was detained by Stalinist troopers—fellow soldiers from his homeland—and accused of “anti-Soviet propaganda” because he was fluent in German and had served as a translator while in prison camp. He was sentenced to 10 years in a Soviet labor camp, subjected to long days of work, little food and severe cold. His letters from Svetlana, the first of which arrived in 1946, and the ones he wrote to her, helped sustain him. Finally, Lev was released in 1954 and was reunited with Svetlana.

Figes does a masterful job at research, combing through 1,500 letters between Lev and Svetlana to chronicle their lives during years of separation. Just Send Me Wordis a book filled with agonizing moments of human pain and suffering, but also uplifting feelings of passion and tenderness, as two young people refuse to let anything stand in the way of their love.

Memoir

Memoir

A father, son and soldier

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

A son always strives to step out of the shadow of his father. In Benjamin Busch’s case, his father, Frederick Busch, cast a very long shadow. Frederick Busch, a novelist and short story writer, published 27 books before his death in 2006. His writing is often described as lyrical and poetic, offering readers small glimpses into their souls. So for Benjamin Busch to write his own book, the memoir Dust to Dust, is a significant step out of that shadow.

Benjamin Busch is no slouch himself. He is an actor, director and a Marine officer who served two tours in Iraq. He is perhaps best known for playing Officer Anthony Colicchio on the HBO crime series “The Wire.” And there are no oedipal motives for writing the book: Busch’s father was loving, caring and indulgent. Dust to Dust, according to the author, was written as an exploration of “the themes at my center . . . impermanence and mortality . . . my need for the adventure of exploration, the confrontation with death.”

In some ways, Busch could not be more different from his father. Fresh from protesting the war in Vietnam, Frederick Busch and his wife, Judith, moved their family to a farm in central New York. His son, Benjamin, soon develops the mentality of a warrior, wandering the woods, building forts and melting crayons into bullets. Yet his parents, opposed to violence and war, prohibit him from having a toy gun. Benjamin Busch does not consciously defy his parents, but he is clearly drawn to war games. He vividly describes his experiences playing high school football and his two tours of duty in Iraq. Yet while Busch is a soldier, he is also a poet. He chooses not to tell his tale in chronological order, but to center it around elemental themes, such as water, metal, bone and blood. And when he is done fighting, Busch settles on a farm in Michigan with his wife and two daughters.

Dust to Dust is a thoughtful meditation on life, death and family. Benjamin Busch, while still a young man, skillfully examines the passions and desires of his life, his need to explore and create some distance from his famous father, and in the end, the striking similarities he shares with the man who gave him life.

Nonfiction, True Crime

Nonfiction True Crime

Revenge on the big con

Review by John T. Slania

by John T. Slania

Hollywood surely will be calling for the movie rights: The Mark Inside is a natural for an adaptation to the big screen. Author Amy Reading has written a page-turner about the true story of a Texas rancher who loses his life savings to a group of con men, and seeks revenge by turning the con on them.

It’s the story of J. Frank Norfleet, who strolled into Dallas one day in 1919 to sell a plot of land, only to lose all his money in a stock market swindle. Five con men pick Norfleet as their mark, weaving an elaborate trap to persuade him to invest his cash in a phony stock market trade. When it’s all over, Norfleet is cheated out of close to $140,000, the equivalent of nearly $1.7 million in today’s dollars. Embarrassed, angry and depressed, Norfleet doesn’t simply return to his ranch to lick his wounds. He decides to capture the crooks using his own bit of subterfuge. He straps on a sidearm, grabs a suitcase full of disguises and spends four years crossing the country on the trail of the offenders, donning phony beards and colorful costumes as he seeks out his enemies.

Reading, who holds a Ph.D. in American Studies, is adept at tracking down original source material for this real-life story. A key source is Norfleet’s own memoir of the events, but since it seems to contain a number of unlikely happenstances and other exaggerations, Reading finds newspaper articles, police records and legal documents to either set the record straight, or at least offer a different, and more believable, perspective on aspects of the tale. Additionally, she provides readers with some historical background on con artists and fascinating details of how they run their scams.

Reading relishes Norfleet’s entertaining and colorful account of his detective work; though she adds integrity and introspection to the tale, she doesn’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. With her wonderful writing and eye for sensational material, The Mark Inside is a nonfiction book that reads like a work of fiction. Only time will tell whether the movie version will live up to the quality of the book.

John T. Slania

Desperate choices

The stars are going out

Unrecognized heroes of the American Revolution

The beauty of a simple life

New Orleans, a model for education reform

A defining look at Scientology

Made of star stuff

A genius and his most famous work

The real-life Count of Monte Cristo

Hard memories from the author of ‘Jarhead’

Love letters from the Gulag

A father, son and soldier

Revenge on the big con

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