Customer Reviews

Crawfish Mountain: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Too often a novel based on an author's pet peeves falls flat. That is not the case in this novel, which combines environmental issues, corporate greed and political shenanigans, with bribery, love affairs and blackmail thrown in. The story is told with the background of the Louisiana Wetlands and the power of the oil interests in the state in the forefront.

At the heart of the story is the degradation of the bayou ecosystem and the effects on the coastal areas, which led to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Justin Pitre's grandfather bought acres of pristine marshland, built a "shack" there, fished and trapped, living a happy life. He left it to Justin, asking him not to let any changes take place. When a greedy oil executive tries to cut a pipeline through it, all hell breaks loose.

The characters include a charismatic Governor (not quite a Huey Long), and true-to-life, loveable Cajuns, among others. The tale is well-told, although this reviewer found the wrap-up somewhat contrived. Nevertheless, it is a most enjoyable read, and, given the time, it probably would be well worth the effort to go back and read the previous Catahoula trilogy, which we missed.

Recommended.

Ken Wells takes us into the bayou for a look at a culture rarely seen and too little appreciated, a culture at risk. He has done the nearly impossible: he's written an ecological novel that's beautifully researched and true, and at the same time is funny, heartwarming, and filled with characters you won't easily forget, from the Cajun governor to the venial oil magnate and his mysterious mistress. This is story telling at its best.

Crawfish Mountain gives the reader an insight to a time not so long ago. As boy who grew up on Little Bayou Black who worked in the oilfield, Ken Wells story rings true. Oil king pins, threatened jobs, amoral boat operators, sheriffs operating out of both sides of the law, illegal chemical dumps were real. Wells masterfully tells the tale in such a way that it doesn't get the reader too riled up. Wells paints a vivid picture of what is at stake in South Louisiana. His legacy is that he has introduced the larger world to a unique culture and environment that is slowly vanishing as it washes away into the Gulf of Mexico. If we don't start fighting to save South Louisiana, Wells' ultimate legacy is that his writings will preserve a culture and place that vanished before our very eyes.

The book was great. I would read any book by the Author Ken Wells.
The service was great.

This is one of the best books I have read this year. The writing is splendid--descriptions vivid, characters very real. One test for my judgment of a book is whether or not I want to read and study it again. I'm on the second reading now.