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Susquehanna, River of Dreams

Susan Q. Stranahan (Goodreads Author)

3.34 · Rating details · 32 ratings · 5 reviews

In Susquehanna, River of Dreams award-winning journalist Susan Q. Stranahan tells the sweeping story of one of America's great rivers - ranging in time from the Susquehanna's geologic origins to the modern threats to its eco-system, describing human settlements, industry and pollution, and recent efforts to save the river and its "drowned estuary," the Chesapeake Bay. The ...more

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Paperback, 336 pages

Published March 15th 1995 by Johns Hopkins University Press (first published September 1st 1993)

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Athenaeum of Philadelphia Literary Award Winners

102 books — 1 voter

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Nov 26, 2018 Armelle rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

Well-written, very interesting, and really, really depressing. Deforestation. Mine run-off. Raw sewage. Dead fish. Corrupt politicians. Stubborn, smug corporations.

The book was written in the early nineties, so we don’t really get “the rest of the story,” but there’s quite a bit of food for thought here.

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Aug 01, 2020 Paul rated it really liked it

A very readable work of non-fiction, organized thematically and geographically. The author presents a fairly comprehensive story of the historical and contemporary (as of the mid90s) events and activities that dominate the life of the Susquehanna River. Beginning with a geographical and geological survey of its entire length, she moves onto the earliest of colonial development (colonial and postcolonial settlement and development, especially canals), and then the hugely important story of the lu ...more

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Sep 05, 2020 Walt rated it liked it

Shelves: urban-studies, politics-current-events, americana

A well-written book that blends an overall holistic narrative with personal stories to give the book character. Leaning more towards environmental studies rather than history, the book is organized thematically although the themes loosely follow chronology. The theme of the book is environmental degradation transitioning to environmental stewardship.

The personal narratives are sometimes disorienting because readers unfamiliar with the area, people, or history have difficulty relating to them. I A well-written book that blends an overall holistic narrative with personal stories to give the book character. Leaning more towards environmental studies rather than history, the book is organized thematically although the themes loosely follow chronology. The theme of the book is environmental degradation transitioning to environmental stewardship.

The personal narratives are sometimes disorienting because readers unfamiliar with the area, people, or history have difficulty relating to them. I understand one person whose home was flooded by sewage and mine discharge. But many others I cannot identify with. The result was that I glossed over these narratives in search for more concrete history.

The themes: geology, colonization, lumber, mining, floods, Three Mile Island, farming, fishing, and the Chesapeake loosely follow a chronological format. The first and last chapters appear to be tagged on just to provide structure and focus on the river. The other stories can be stand-along chapters linked together by the river. The result is a very biased narrative on economic development.

The bias is most clearly felt in the chapter on fish restoration. Vague mandates about fish restoration going back to the 1860s suddenly became a crusade in the 1970s at a cost of millions of dollars per year for the few companies operating dams built in the 1930s. Stranahan barely mentions the rationale for such a cost benefit analysis except one personal narrative that says something akin to "you can check the health of the river by the health of the fish." Reading as an environmentalist, I was surprised at the costs extorted from the power companies for the fish.

Overall, this was a slow read for me. Stranahan does describe the various industries and the growth along the river since the colonial era (especially in the lower part of the river. I do not recall her mentioning the Northern parts or Binghamton at all); but the focus is on the river, and hence the environment, rather than the people. The narrative has a strong bias that can overwhelm the reader seeking a more general overview of rise and decline of industry in Pennsylvania. ...more

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Dec 24, 2018 Zach rated it liked it

Not a bad read -- contains the right facts and presents them in a way that ties everything together and restrains itself from plodding along. Recommended for enthusiasts of the river and her regions. My biggest gripe with the book however is its limited scope on the geology. For instance, this book never mentions that thr Susquehanna is one of the oldest rivers in the world. The book neither gives mention to the fact that the Susquehanna and the Chesapeake Bay are one, not just figuratively but ...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Dutt rated it liked it

Had to read this book for my environmental literature class. I really enjoyed the descriptions. Also, living near the river I enjoyed the historical background. It spits out a lot of good facts without being super dry.

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