I just finished reading Rising Tide by John M. Barry.  I heard about the book from the Spike Lee documentary, "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts".  While the documentary is  not for the faint of heart or children (the language is atrocious), the book is very readable.    Words that are now politically incorrect are used to effectively draw the reader into the darkness of that day.  The story brings you through different histories of people lives that are directly involved with the Mississippi River.   I was never so on the edge of my seat while reading of the break in the Mounds Landing crevasse.  Mr. Barry  captured the essence of how money, power and pride can be more important than the lives of people.  Overall, looking back, the book is not a feel good book nor could I find a silver lining behind the cloud.  It seems to have a dark cloud over it throughout.  I was wanting a happy ending, but found none.  But I do recommend it to adults who like to read thought-provoking books.    You will never think of the Mississippi River the same again.

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Posted by Robinlyn

That sounds very interesting. Don't you just love to read. I just read aloud The Great Gatsby to the girls, which wasn't really a favorite of mine, and I just finished yesterday, To Kill a Mockingbird, which I really liked. Enjoy this beautiful sunny day!!

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Posted by Aussie Kim

Dear Lou,
This looks like a great book. One I read which I can highly recommend is: "When the Mississippi Ran Backwards : Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman.
It was a gripping read. Also, makes you wonder about the placement of Memphis so close to the fault line! For pictures of the Mississippi in flood right now (April 2008) try http://www.homeschoolersavvy.typepad.com!
Your site looks neat!

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