The Day the Earth Caved in: An American Mining Tragedy (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780812971309)

Beginning on Valentine's Day, 1981, when twelve-year-old Todd Domboski plunged through the earth in his grandmother's backyard in Centralia, Pennsylvania, The Day the Earth Caved In is an unprecedented and riveting account of the nation's worst mine fire. In astonishing detail, award-winning journalist Joan Quigley, the granddaughter of Centralia miners, ushers readers into the dramatic world of the underground blaze. Drawing on interviews with key participants and exclusive new research, Quigley paints unforgettable portraits of Centralia and its residents, from Tom Larkin, the short-order cook and ex-hippie who rallied the activists, to Helen Womer, the bank teller who galvanized the opposition, denying the fire's existence even as toxic fumes invaded her home. Like Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action, The Day the Earth Caved In is a seminal investigation of individual rights, corporate privilege, and governmental indifference to the powerless.

Author: Joan Quigley
ISBN-10: 0812971302
ISBN-13: 9780812971309
Publisher: Random House Trade
Language: English
Published: 04/14/2009
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.47lbs
Size: 8.06h x 5.22w x 0.62d

Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 07/05/2009 pg. 16