Valley So Low

One Lawyer's Fight for Justice in the Wake of America's Great Coal Catastrophe

De: Jared Sullivan

Narrado por: Lee Osorio, Jared Sullivan

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

A riveting courtroom drama about the victims of one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history—and the country lawyer determined to challenge the notion that, in America, justice can be bought

“[A] tense investigative chronicle.”—The New Yorker

For more than fifty years, a power plant in the small town of Kingston, Tennessee,  burned fourteen thousand tons of coal a day, gradually creating a mountain of ashen waste sixty feet high and covering eighty-four acres, contained only by an earthen embankment. In 2008, just before Christmas, that embankment broke, unleashing a lethal wave of coal sludge that covered three hundred acres, damaged nearly thirty homes, and precipitating a cleanup effort that would cost more than a billion dollars—and the lives of more than fifty cleanup workers who inhaled the toxins it released.

Jim Scott, a local personal-injury lawyer, agreed to represent the workers after they began to fall ill. That meant doing legal battle against the Tennessee Valley Authority,  a colossal, federally owned power company that had once been a famous cornerstone of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Scott and his hastily assembled team gathered extensive evidence of malfeasance: threats against workers; retaliatory firings; disregarded safety precautions; and test results, either hidden or altered, that would have revealed harmful concentrations of arsenic, lead, and radioactive materials at the cleanup site. At every stage, Scott—outmanned and nearly broke—had to overcome legal hurdles constructed by TVA and the firm it hired to help execute the cleanup. He grew especially close to one of the victims, whose swift decline only intensified his hunger for justice. As the incriminating evidence mounted, the workers seemed to have everything on their side, including the truth—and yet, was it all enough to prevail?

The lawsuit that Scott pursued on the workers’ behalf was about their illnesses, no doubt. But it was also about whether blue-collar employees could beat the C-suite; if self-described “hillbilly lawyers” could beat elite corporate defense attorneys; and whether strong evidence could beat fat pocketbooks. With suspense and rich detail, Jared Sullivan’s thrilling account lays bare the casual brutality of the American justice system, and calls into question whether—and how—the federal government has failed its people.

©2024 Jared Sullivan (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Valley So Low is more than a tale of unrepentant corporate evil and incomprehensible environmental destruction. It’s more, even, than a spellbinding courtroom drama. This brilliant, necessary book is a testament to the power of perseverance and a blueprint for challenging industry’s shrugged-off human costs. Valley So Low is a ballad, yes, but it’s also an anthem. And a triumph." —Margaret Renkl, author of The Comfort of Crows

“This tense investigative chronicle of what Sullivan, a journalist, calls the ‘single largest industrial disaster in U.S. history in terms of volume’ focusses on the workers who cleaned up afterward. ... As Sullivan follows the court case filed by some of the affected men, the book becomes a legal thriller—a story of ‘simple, hardworking’ Davids fighting the Big Energy Goliath who poisoned them.”—The New Yorker

“Sullivan brings a maximalist, punctilious approach.... We don’t just read about the trial’s interminable delays: We feel them.”—Nathaniel Rich, The New York Times Book Review

Enjoyable book

In 2008, a coal sludge disaster in Tennessee led to numerous cleanup workers getting sick and even dying. Jim Scott is a personal injury lawyer and is hired to sue on behalf of the workers. This is a true story of corporate greed and neglect, and a years-long legal legal battle. I enjoyed this engaging and informative book. This is a true life legal thriller.

Exceeds expectations

On par with Silkwood and Erin Brockovich. Real life drama and persistent tragedy that highlights the righteous fight for humanity and reveals the heartless corruption and inhumane greed of the powerful.

I think this book just turned me into Luigi Mangione

A heartbreaking story cut with the joy of an aspirationally simple life. This true story, as captured by Sullivan, so perfectly depicts the evils of “for profit” public service. Capitalism cares more about the bottom line than the quality of life afforded their workforce.. and that’s on full display following the trials that ultimately punished and belittled the afflicted workers.

Compelling story

A wonderfully written book combining human interest, in-depth reporting, and legal thriller. You’ll be enraged at the audacity of power and inspired by the people attempting to hold power to account.