Return to Spirit Lake: Journey Through a Lost Landscape [Paperback]

Christine Colasurdo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

Few natural disasters can match a volcanic eruption for the total destruction of a familiar landscape. Journalist Colasurdo first visited Spirit Lake, which is at the base of Mt. St. Helens, in Washington State, as a child, in 1970. When her parents purchased a cabin there in 1977, Colasurdo planned to make the area her permanent home. The volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980, not only destroyed a beloved setting but permanently ended Colasurdo's plans for living and working at Spirit Lake. Her work is a graceful blend of personal observations (pre- and posteruption), scientific documentation of volcanic activity, and the earlier-than-expected regeneration of life and landscape. An active environmentalist, Colasurdo addresses the effects of logging and reseeding in the area. Her book is a testament to the resilience of both landscape and human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Few natural disasters can match a volcanic eruption for the total destruction of a familiar landscape. Journalist Colasurdo first visited Spirit Lake, which is at the base of Mt. St. Helens, in Washington State, as a child, in 1970. When her parents purchased a cabin there in 1977, Colasurdo planned to make the area her permanent home. The volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980, not only destroyed a beloved setting but permanently ended Colasurdo's plans for living and working at Spirit Lake. Her work is a graceful blend of personal observations (pre- and posteruption), scientific documentation of volcanic activity, and the earlier-than-expected regeneration of life and landscape. An active environmentalist, Colasurdo addresses the effects of logging and reseeding in the area. Her book is a testament to the resilience of both landscape and human spirit. Recommended for all public libraries.?Janet N. Ross, Sparks Branch Lib., Nev.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570610819
• ISBN-13: 978-1570610813
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,988,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book From a Personal Perspective, December 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Return to Spirit Lake: Journey Through a Lost Landscape (Paperback)

This book was written by someone who grew up with her summers in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens who revisits the area years later, after the eruption. It was a very reflective, somewhat moody book, that I enjoyed reading. Good descriptions of the area as it struggled to recover from the incredible devastation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book about Nature, Destruction and Renewal, December 27, 2004

By 

T. Fernandez "ravenswoodmom" (Chicago, Il United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Return to Spirit Lake: Journey Through a Lost Landscape (Paperback)

My husband bought this book and I just picked it up on a whim. The book spins a lovely web of the aesthetics of nature, the factual information about Mount St Helens and a personal reflection on one individual's place in the enormous cycle of nature. I enjoyed Colasurdo simple but elegant prose, her meticulous research, which I was glad to see gave credit to scientists and historians with every fact, and her personal insights and revelations.

I read this books during an absolutely insane Christmas season (I own a retail store so Christmas is always particularly draining) and it really helped me put everything in perspective.