When Once Destroyed: A Historical Memoir of the Life and Death of a Small Town

In this historical nonfiction book about small towns—and the big government that all-too-often lets them down—NPR affiliate broadcaster Sid Shroyer investigates the man-made flood that took his family's farm.As a local host of WVPE's All Things Considered, Sid Shroyer is no stranger to local events that tell a larger story. In this historical memoir, he explores a story in his own family's archive: the destruction of his father's boyhood home in Somerset, Indiana . . . and how it was caused by people who were supposed to protect the community.Through investigative reporting and research into government records, Shroyer discovered a dark secret. This tragedy was an avoidable result of biased social policies and ambition.In this powerful exposé of the politics behind a devastating disaster, discover how government representatives:sold residents a flood-control reservoir project behind the scenes and off the books,twisted the concepts of community recreation and economic development for political gain, andignored the community and left those most affected without a voice . . . which ended in disaster.With the continual uncovering of government involvement in environmental disasters like the water crisis in Flint, Michigan; Hurricane Katrina on the US Gulf Coast; and the Hinkley, California, groundwater contamination of Erin Brockovich notoriety, this government corruption book affirms that environmental activism in rural communities continues to be as important now as ever.In this searing commentary on what the powerful can do to the powerless, discover what is lost in the name of profitability—and why telling these stories is the first step to lasting change. Read more