The Readers' Advisory Matrix for Nonfiction: River of Lost Souls

THE READERS’ ADVISORY MATRIX- NONFICTION

River of Lost Souls: The Science, Politics, and Greed Behind the Gold King Mine Disaster

by Jonathan P. Thompson

Published March 6^th 2018 by Torrey House Press

ISBN: 1937226840

1.	Where is the book on the narrative continuum? o   Highly narrative (reads like fiction) o   A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose) o   Highly fact based (has few or no narrative moments)
2.	What is the subject of the book? A history of hard-rock mining and the environment in the San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado.  It chronicles the area’s Native populations, Western explorers, settlers, and modern populations through the context of the natural environment and the people’s impact on the pollution in the area.
3.	What type of book is it?   A journalistic book told through interspersed personal narrative and historical information.
4.	Articulate appeal ·      What is the pacing of the book? §  Conversational, and medium-paced with relevant side-tracks into history and the geology of certain mines and areas. ·      Describe the characters of the book. §  The author takes us on a first-person journey and he is present and informative throughout.  It lends the book an authoritative feel. ·      How does the story feel? §  Informative, powerful, thought-provoking ·      What is the intent of the author? §  To enlighten and inform on a specific area’s history ·      What is the focus of the story? §    The specific environmental and sociological history of the Southern San Juan Mountains and the Four Corners Area of the American West. ·      Does the language matter? §  Yes, it provides a sense of import and authority ·      Is the setting important and well described? §  The setting for this book is highly important and the focus of the title.  The historical, environmental, and political aspects of this book are all tied to its specific geographic location in Southwestern Colorado and the Four Corners area with potential applications throughout the American West. ·      Are there details and, if so, of what? §  The well-researched and detailed information presented in this book are not highly technical, but are extremely informative.  The geology, water quality, history of population migration and settlement, as well as the complex financial and political history of the area are all explored in detail throughout the course of the book. ·      Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? §  There are maps of the area, and occasional information images, and are clear and useful when present. ·     Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? §  Yes, the book’s focus on educating the reader on this area and its history supersedes any perceived bias the author might have regarding the political implications of the environmental aspects of the title.
5.	Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)? 1.     Environmental education/ pollution 2.     Detailed and specific history of the American West 3.     Journalistic style, tone, and detail

My Thoughts

I read a fair amount of Nonfiction, but I decided that I had to do the matrix on River of Lost Souls for a couple of reasons.  This book by Jonathan P. Thompson is written on the area of the world I call home, and deals with a major incident that occurred in 2015- the Gold King Mine Spill which made headlines around the world with the infamous image of kayakers sitting in the orange river south of us in Durango- you know the one....

Jerry McBride/ Durango Herald

And then down-streamers and the world condemned Silverton for daring to have thousands of old mine adits in these mountains, as if the river had ever been clear, as if there was not a much more complicated geological history involved.  Thompson, an award-winning environmental journalist and also an area native takes the time to tell this history in its much longer and larger environmental context, and he does it well.  So while this may be a "local history" book, it also explores the broader context of environmental conversations and encourages education over knee-jerk reactions. 

I cannot recommend Thompson's book highly enough, and it was such a phenomenal read I am sure that soon enough I will be reading it again. 

References:

Wyatt, N. (2007). The readers advisory guide to nonfiction. Chicago: American Library Association.