A love story wrapped in historical drama...In the steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous 1948 "killing smog," headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends to her family and neighbors. Efficient and precise, she's created a life that reflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She's even managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from the love of her life, Henry, her dutiful children, and large extended family. When a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow ...
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A love story wrapped in historical drama...In the steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous 1948 "killing smog," headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends to her family and neighbors. Efficient and precise, she's created a life that reflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She's even managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from the love of her life, Henry, her dutiful children, and large extended family. When a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose's nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she never could have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life, making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As pressure mounts, Rose finds she's not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family-and the whole town-splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family's healing begin? Will love be enough?
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Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 408 p. Donora Story Collection, 1. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Book is in good condition. Minimal signs of wear. It May have markings or highlights but kept to only a few pages. May not come with supplemental materials if applicable.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 408 p. Donora Story Collection, 1. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Kathleen Shoop hypnotises readers with her words bringing the story to life in such an encapturing way that it is so hard to put the book down.
In the mill town of Donora lives Rose and her dysfunctional family. Rose is a nurse who strives to ensure that her community is looked after, nursing is her life but with the worry that their funding is running out hanging over her head. After growing up in an orphanage Rose is adamant that her children will have the best that live can give, that is her mission, her focus in life. Although things don't go according to plan for Rose, her control to ensure they get away from Donora has become questioned and betrayed is how she now feels. What her family are not aware of is why Rose is the way she is, the deep hidden secrets and hurt she hides away.
The background of the family structure and the plight of the mill workers and families make you feel that you have become absorbed into the era and the story. She brings the characters into the hearts and minds of the reader, the nice ones and even the not so nice ones, Although I was caught out by the twist to the story.
People in Donora are proud of their industrial background, the mills are a way of life to them and they owe the mills for giving them jobs to be able to provide for their families. Living in the constant noise, smell, hardship and worry that their loved ones might be injured or worse at work is just the norm to them, let alone the never ending fog that surrounds the village.
I know the book was based around the real tragic events for the local Donora residents but even so you would still have been easily taken in by the story. The tragedy of the killing smog and the sad loss of lives and those who suffered illnesses was handled in a considerate way, it become clear that the author had put a lot of care and research into the story and I feel has done the Donora people proud.
Following on from such a traumatic event, is hard for everyone, especially Rose and my heart did go out to her. There were a lot of similarities between myself and Rose, especially a current one with my son and his education which made me smile as I had the same realisation as Rose did in the end.
A nice ending to a realistic and gritty tale and I am one seriously hooked fan and that's just after reading two of her books, I cannot wait to read the next, in fact I need it right now!!
BarefootMahala
Oct 20, 2014
Recommended Read
After the Fog is a gritty story, set in industrial Donora in Pennsylvania, and plenty of that industrial setting comes through. Reading the first few chapters, in the lead up to the "killing smog" descending, left me with the impression that the inhabitants exist in a kind of hazy twilight, such are the effects of the three mills, their soot and the fog they cause.
The main character of the story is Rose, a community nurse fighting for the funding to continue her vital role, whilst trying to hold together her family against the odds of decades-old secrets, a gambling brother-in-law and a useless sister in law. As if that's not enough, her teenage children are making plans of their own for their futures, casting aside the future Rose has planned for them. Her husband has his own secrets.
Rose is both likeable and controlling in equal measure. Her husband Henry hits on a raw point, when he points out that she might be treating her patients more favourably that her own family:
?Can't you be as generous with us as you are with your patients? For once. Cut your own family some slack for fuck sakes.?
And that sums her up entirely - at once an incredibly generous, hardworking woman, going out of her way to help others and a controlling matriarch.
I'm not going to describe the rest of the story - that would relieve you of the need to read this great book. Suffice it to say that right from the start, you feel that there is more to know about the main characters, secrets to be uncovered and it leaves you wanting to know what happens to these people.
One thing I would say is that whilst this is described as a romance, it's really not. There are relationships involved, but it's not a romantic novel in the usual sense.
A good read, highly recommended
