Volcano in Paradise: Death and Survival on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat [Hardcover]

 

 

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Volcano in Paradise opens ones eyes to the impact, scale, and human dimention otherwise ignored by the general news coverage of natuaral disasters, in this case the catastrophic volcanic eruptions on Montserrat.

I was captivated by the author's clarity of approach to a subject of which I previously knew nothing. Having been initially unsure whether to buy the book, I finished it in two sittings and would recommend to anyone with similar doubts to give it a go. You will be well rewarded.

I congratulate the author on his success in making such trajic subject matter such a facinating and enjoyable a read.

As a longtime admirer of Phil Davison's newspaper and magazine journalism from Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, I was delighted by the publication of "Volcano in Paradise." In this first book by a dogged and empathetic foreign correspondent, Davison delivers a complex, well-woven tale, told through the experiences and insights of a handful of key characters on the Caribbean island of Montserrat.
Like the buildup of forces deep within the island's seemingly slumbering volcano in 1995, Davison's story starts off slowly, almost imperceptibly, before expanding and exploding through a series of volcanic "events" that reshape the people's lives and land. In his early chapters, which include a succinct and fascinating look at the shaping of Montserrat -- geologically, historically and culturally -- Davison's pace reflects the laid-back, no-clock-watching life of the island. An impatient reader may wonder when he will get around to the first explosion that was to devastate the tiny teardrop-shaped island. Be patient. His descriptions of Montserrat (which he compares to "a wayward diamond, dangling a little loose from the necklace of islands known as the Lesser Antilles") and the equally sparkling detail with which he introduces readers to its people is something to savour. He has a sharp eye and a finely tuned ear. Relax and get to know Rose and Father Larry, Danny and Margaret, Frank and Sheila, 2Pac and the rest.
Davison takes readers with him as he meanders around the island, shooting the breeze with Montserratians as they become increasingly aware that something unsettling is brewing on "The Mountain." As scientists record and monitor the awakening of the peak, and the expert "volcano cowboys" arrive, even the island's canine population senses big trouble ahead.
The volcano's steaming and spewing of ash, gas and hot rock increase as months pass, climaxing in a massive eruption that transforms the capital, Plymouth, into a modern-day Pompeii. For some, there are miraculous escapes, but for most people and animals caught by the fast-moving and deadly pyroclastic cloud of hot rock and ash, there is no escape. Other eruptions follow, among them one that wipes away the town of St. Patrick's in just 50 seconds.
With each instance of the volcano's fury came greater outpourings of anger among the island's 11,000 people. In the political aftermath, Britain, which formally governed the island, was slow to recognize the scope of Montserrat's crisis and then stingy in its offers of assistance. The islanders were insulted by Britain's voluntary-relocation offers, suspicious that it wanted to evacuate the entire island, and incensed by a top official's surly insinuation that they were greedy and would next be demanding "golden elephants."
Today, some 5,000 Montserratians remain on the island, crowded into the undeveloped northern third of the island after having been pushed further and further from the volcano into ever-smaller "safe" zones. But these resourceful and optimistic people are fighting on, rebuilding their lives, seeking investment and infrastructure and lost tourist dollars. As Davison writes, they are "God-fearing folks whose ancestors were brought to the Caribbean islands in chains but who refused to flee when a force more ruthless than the old colonial masters, mighty Nature itself, challenged their resilience and faith anew."
As a long-experienced reporter not only of the hard facts of wars, revolutions and natural disasters, but also of the human stories behind them, Davison is the man to tell Montserrat's story. He tells it with ease and skill, in writing as lush and richly textured as the island's mountain slopes. Any reader of this fine book is sure to agree with the author's heartfelt wish: "May their paradise be not lost, but merely interrupted."

This book almost read like a novel, with such a strong narrative, and part of the enjopyment of the book was that you kept remembering that these situations and people were real.
Nice, slightly detached, but very human, languid style of writing. Mr D stated the facts and let your own emotions react to them, without ever becoming emotional or sentimental himself. You knew he cared but this came over as a result of his detailed descriptions of the island and people rather than him saying 'I stood and wept'. The horror of what he describes is therefore greater as you have to supply a lot of the superlatives yourself.

'Enjoy' probably isn't the right word for a book such as this, but it's a bloody good read and a gripping story. If you can 'enjoy' a book descibing such subject matter then , OK, I really enjoyed this one!

I have no idea how you would follow up a book like this but I would like to read another one by the author.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A tale of disaster and hope, beautifully told
As a longtime admirer of Phil Davison's newspaper and magazine journalism from Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, I was delighted by the publication of "Volcano in... Read more

Published on 28 April 2003

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