Hello again, clandestine, literary agents. I recently
finished Timothy Egan's Cascadian classic (yes I am a very proud of Cascadian).
The good rain, and because it got me thinking about the environment, bio
regionalism and its politics and what makes Cascadia and/or the Pacific
Northwest so different, geographically personally and politically (particularly
with the current political climate in the United States. I felt that this book
would be a good starting point for our first major literary agent conference.
Please remember these are just one literary agent spots and perceptions of a
very popular and beloved book. Please feel free to comment, follow share and
discuss...
I would recommend this book...to anyone raised in the
Pacific Northwest (PNW) who is currently living away from home and is a bit
nostalgic. I will be curious to know the thoughts of non-PNWers or PNWers still
living in the area if they have read or decide to read this book.
The Pacific Northwest is truly a region without borders. It stretches into British Columbia and moves down through Western Oregon. There is certainly something that links people from this area. The terrain plays a role as people from the area are comfortable both with the ocean and in the mountains. The long gray and drizzly winters become normal for those adapted but standout for the new arrivals.
Egan certainly loves Cascadia and represents it very well in this book.
This book is about the history of the region. He travels from one area to the next tying in current events with historical ones. He justifiably declares the importance of the geography giving particular focus to the Columbia River and Cascade Mountains. He also drives home the message (perhaps too often) that the Army Corp of Engineers mutilated a lot of rivers in the area with dam construction thus drastically reducing the salmon runs. As a result, the way of life of the Indians in the area was altered forever because they were no longer able to fish the rivers they had depended on for 10,000 years. European Americans push west certainly did not help the situation either as Indian land was snatched up with support from the federal government and was only relinquished after drawn out court rulings, which were often too late.
This book was written in 1990 which in Seattle terms is a lifetime ago. The city has changed so much since then. This book demonstrates how European Americans moving west wanted to take as much from the land as possible in the shortest amount of time. They also felt that the power of man could conquer the massiveness of the terrain mainly though engineering. Land protection, zoning laws, pollution, were not terms that were digested well by the new arrivals. My fear is that these same issues are still not given enough consideration as the population in the Seattle region is estimated to reach four million over the next two decades. Many things I am seeing, hearing, and reading are convincing me that a book such as Egan's holds vital messages that are still relevant today.
The Pacific Northwest is truly a region without borders. It stretches into British Columbia and moves down through Western Oregon. There is certainly something that links people from this area. The terrain plays a role as people from the area are comfortable both with the ocean and in the mountains. The long gray and drizzly winters become normal for those adapted but standout for the new arrivals.
Egan certainly loves Cascadia and represents it very well in this book.
This book is about the history of the region. He travels from one area to the next tying in current events with historical ones. He justifiably declares the importance of the geography giving particular focus to the Columbia River and Cascade Mountains. He also drives home the message (perhaps too often) that the Army Corp of Engineers mutilated a lot of rivers in the area with dam construction thus drastically reducing the salmon runs. As a result, the way of life of the Indians in the area was altered forever because they were no longer able to fish the rivers they had depended on for 10,000 years. European Americans push west certainly did not help the situation either as Indian land was snatched up with support from the federal government and was only relinquished after drawn out court rulings, which were often too late.
This book was written in 1990 which in Seattle terms is a lifetime ago. The city has changed so much since then. This book demonstrates how European Americans moving west wanted to take as much from the land as possible in the shortest amount of time. They also felt that the power of man could conquer the massiveness of the terrain mainly though engineering. Land protection, zoning laws, pollution, were not terms that were digested well by the new arrivals. My fear is that these same issues are still not given enough consideration as the population in the Seattle region is estimated to reach four million over the next two decades. Many things I am seeing, hearing, and reading are convincing me that a book such as Egan's holds vital messages that are still relevant today.
Thanks for spending a few minutes. I hope, if you
haven't read this book that you are inspired to do so. And if you have your
inspired to do so again, and if you are Cascadian that you have gained a new perspective
concerning the spectacular place we are lucky enough to call home.
Link; https://www.amazon.com/Good-Rain-Terrain-Northwest-Departures-ebook/dp/B004QZ9XQC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487990824&sr=8-1&keywords=the+good+rain+timothy+egan
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Hardcover: 254 pages
·
Publisher: Knopf; 1St Edition (May 12, 1990)
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Language: English
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ISBN-10: 0394577248
· ISBN-13: 978-0394577241
Timothy Egan made this non-fiction book into a real page turner. As a relatively new Washington state citizen, I was spell bound by Egan's description of the Cascadian area. I discovered what an important person Winthrop was to our beautiful and diverse environment. Plus, who wouldn't love a book that starts out with Grandpa's ashes being in the basement for six months! My book club always rates the books we read from five to one, with five being the best mark. The Good Rain by Timothy Egan definitely rates a five!
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