Valley So Low: One Lawyer's Fight for Justice in the Wake of America's Great Coal Catastrophe
Jared Sullivan, in his scrupulous account of the aftermath of the Kingston disaster, had not only to dramatize a convoluted series of abstruse, drawn-out legal cases. He also had to contend with his villains’ shameless lack of originality ... Sullivan brings a maximalist, punctilious approach. Although he did not arrive at the scene until 2018, he reconstructs the events of the previous decade, and the lives of his large cast of characters, with dutiful, and at times grueling, precision. Valley So Low is a legal procedural in which seemingly no deposition, policy brief, pretrial motion, post-trial hearing, cross or recross, direct or redirect, has been excluded. We don’t just read about the trial’s interminable delays: We feel them.
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Horrifying details and anecdotes pile up as the story unfolds, and it’s easy to understand how righteous anger could fuel a lengthy legal quest with no promise of financial reward. Propulsive and written with flair, Valley So Low is a valuable addition to the pantheon of legal thrillers.
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He amasses a huge amount of information, and while this helps him build a strong case, it also bogs down the narrative in places. Another problem is that the book's three long parts each cover a lengthy period, making it at times a difficult read. Nevertheless, the overall impact of the story remains strong, thanks to Sullivan’s careful research and empathy for the disaster’s victims. Of particular interest to readers interested in environmental issues and public liability law.
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