On April 3, 1974 the forces of nature combined to produce 148 tornadoes in 13 states that altered the landscapes and lives of those in their paths. Author Mark Levine attempts to parallel the deadly storms with the political and social unrest of the time, and also educates readers on the natural forces behind tornadoes and the scientific advances designed to rank and track such storms. This book is most successful when it concentrates of the lives of the victims, and provides a satisfactory look at where these major characters are today and how that one day affected the rest of their lives.
I found this book enjoyable and somewhat educational but felt the author missed the mark with his tornado vs. the 70's analogy.
Readers who enjoyed this book may also like these fiction titles: Sing them Home by Stephanie Kallos, Grove, 2009. Siblings vs. nature; mom is taken by a tornado and Dad by a lightning strike 25 years later. This novel focuses on the devestating effects of natural disasters on a small town and the siblings struggles with both grief and the changes brought on by their losses. Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling, Bantam, 1994 is a futuristic thriller about storm chasers pursuing a potential F6 with the potential to destroy the world.
Readers who enjoyed this book may also like these non-fiction titles: Storm Warning: the Story of a Killer Tornado by Nancy Mathis, Simon & Schuster, 2007 which relates the killer F5 tornado that devestated parts of Oklahoma in May of 1999.
Devastation! The World's Worst Natural Disasters by Lesley Newson, Dorling Kindersley, 1998 offers dates, details, illustrations, and explanations of more than 500 historical natural disasters.
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