Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown by Ann E. Burg

Today is the publication day for my sister’s new book Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown. Normally when one of her books is released I have read it a number of times. Her previous titles: All the Broken Pieces, Serafina’s Promise and Unbound were books that I read a few times before they were officially published. Ann would send me drafts or poems and finally a galley to read. This time was different. While I was there when she did research I never got to read a finished product until I got the completed book in the mail. I immediately sat down to read Flooded as soon as I got it. I know she is my sister and I know she is a beautiful writer but I sometimes forget that her writing can be so powerful. By the middle of the book I couldn’t breathe waiting to see what happens. The book starts softly then crescendos into an action packed thriller before settling into a serious and thought provoking humanistic story. I couldn’t help but think how this story based on true events could have been about our current time. It speaks of everyday people whose lives are upended by a disaster that could have been avoided. How ordinary people become heroes and how the movers and shakers of the time shirk their responsibilities. I know this is meant to be a book for young readers or young adults but I truly feel that it is meant for all readers to savor and enjoy. Thank you Ann for sharing your words with the world!