The Volcano, Montserrat and Me

Twenty years with an active volcano

“As time moves on and memories fade, this unique, compelling book will serve as an important and accurate first-hand record of traumatic events, faithfully and sensitively recounted by Lally Brown.” Professor Willy Aspinall, University of Bristol, UK A Recipe for Adversity: Take one small Caribbean island, Toss in an erupting volcano, Bring slowly to the boil, Whisk in three hurricanes, Sprinkle with hundreds and thousands of earthquakes, Simmer gently for two decades or longer, Now live there! ‘An enchanting slice of Paradise’ is how the travel brochures described Montserrat in 1995. The tiny Caribbean island was advertised as ‘a piece of heaven on earth’. A romantic tourist destination with beautiful tropical scenery and a laid-back lifestyle. A relaxed retreat where visitors were assured of a warm and friendly welcome. Millionaires rubbed shoulders with the locals and pop legends like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Phil Collins, and Elton John came to record their latest albums. Then, on the morning of Tuesday 18th July 1995, everything changed. After 350 years of dormancy the volcano in the Soufriѐre Hills above the capital of Plymouth stirred awake. On that first day a sulphurous smell filled the air, ashy steam was vented high into the sky and a roaring sound came from the hills. The authorities were caught completely unprepared and struggled to cope with the unfolding crisis. The island went into shock. This was only the beginning. As volcanic activity steadily increased Montserratians were thrown into panic. Half the population were evacuated from the island and the remainder fled in terror to northern Montserrat trying to escape the angry volcano. Life would never be the same again. This is a personal diary of the first three years of the eruption (1995 to 1998) and concludes with a detailed summary of the years 1999 to 2015. Twenty years later and the Soufriѐre Hills Volcano is still active. The book is a powerful and graphic description of the realities of living with an unpredictable and extremely dangerous volcano, with the added hazard of several hurricanes. There is tension, tragedy, stress and fear, but there is also much laughter and love. “Very rich, and warm and a marvellous read.” Professor Robert Nelson, Maine, US “You have captured the heart of the island.” JH, Glos. UK

A Re-Visit to Montserrat

I read this book by Lally Brown a few years back. Listening to it on Audible allowed me to vicariously take the journey to Montserrat again with Lally and her engineer-husband. To endure the ups and downs of dealing with the unpredictable volcano took a lot of stamina. Plus, Lally's sense of humor gave me several laugh-out-loud moments!