Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America - Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction 2019

Amity and Prosperity is a 2019 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction winner that tells the story of the energy boom's impact on a small town and one woman's transformation from a struggling single parent to an unlikely activist. Stacey Haney strikes a deal with a Texas-based energy company, but trucks begin rumbling past her farm, a drill site rises, and domestic animals and pets start to die. She joins with neighbors and a legal team to investigate what's in the water and air, exposing the damage done to the land her family has lived on for centuries.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 04 June 2019
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, Amity and Prosperity is a powerful and thought-provoking book that delves into the impact of the energy boom on a small town at the edge of Appalachia. Spanning seven years in the making, this invaluable and discomforting narrative follows the transformation of Stacey Haney, a local nurse and single parent, into an unlikely activist.

Set in the picturesque town of Amity, Pennsylvania, the story unfolds as Stacey's life is upended by the arrival of the fracking boom. Intrigued by the reports of lucrative natural gas leases in her neighbors' mailboxes, she strikes a deal with a Texas-based energy company. However, the consequences are far from desirable. Trucks rattle past her small farm, a fenced-off drill site rises on an adjacent hilltop, and domestic animals and pets begin to suffer. When mysterious illnesses start afflicting her children, Stacey turns to the company for help, but their representatives insist that nothing is wrong.

Alarmed by her children's suffering, Stacey joins forces with her neighbors and a dedicated husband-and-wife legal team to investigate the underlying causes of their illnesses. Despite facing local opposition, they relentlessly pursue their case in court, exposing the devastating damage being done to the land her family has lived on for centuries. Drawing on seven years of immersive reporting, award-winning poet and journalist Eliza Griswold delves into the complex dynamics of an imperilled town facing a crisis of values.

Amity and Prosperity is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community in the face of adversity. It serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the risks associated with unchecked industrialization and the importance of protecting the environment and human health. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in social justice, environmental issues, and the human cost of corporate greed.

Weight: 242g
Dimension: 198 x 124 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472268723