What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City by Mona Hanna-Attisha | 2018 | One World | Hardcover $ 28
This is the inspiring story of how Dr. Mona — accompanied by an idiosyncratic team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders — proved that Flint’s kids were exposed to lead and then fought her own government and a brutal backlash to expose that truth to the world. Paced like a scientific thriller, this book shows how misguided austerity policies, the withdrawal of democratic government, and callous bureaucratic indifference placed an entire city at risk. And at the center of the story is Dr. Mona herself — an immigrant, doctor, scientist, and mother whose family’s activist roots inspired her pursuit of justice.
I opted to join the MLA (Medical Library Association) book club this year; this title was chosen for group reading and discussion.
Dr. Hanna-Attisha was one of the primary whistleblowers that brought attention to the crisis of lead in the tap water of Flint, Michigan. In an attempt to save money, public officials purposely endangered the health of an entire community — and this local physician figured it out and started ringing alarm bells. This book is the story of how the doctor and her colleagues discovered the problem, and the work they had to do to get people in power to take action.
Dr. Mona’s story is both horrifying and hopeful. On the one hand, it’s a story about the failure of multiple agencies and individuals to act ethically and protect the citizens who depended on them. It’s the kind of story that makes one distrust the government at every level. On the other hand, it’s a story about persistence in doing the right thing even in the face of powerful opposition. It’s the kind of story that makes one believe that humans really can be good to each other and can accomplish amazing things when they work together.
This is also just overall a really well-written memoir. The author does a great job of interweaving personal anecdotes and pieces of historical context with the primary narrative of the water crisis in Flint, which really humanizes the entire thing. It’s no longer just a set of dramatic headlines and soundbites getting played up for pageviews; this is an actual disaster happening to real people in real time.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more specifically about the water crisis in Flint, of course, but it’s also just a great choice for anyone who is interested in learning more about environmental justice and public health generally.
Links:
- Official website of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
- Review at Kirkus
- Review at Publisher’s Weekly
- Author interview with NPR
Publication information: Hanna-Attisha, Mona. What the eyes don’t see: A story of crisis, resistance, and hope in an American city. New York City, NY: One World, 2018. Print.
Source: Public library.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.