When the Dust Settles

by Lucy Easthope

When a plane crashes, a bomb explodes, a city floods or a pandemic begins, Lucy Easthope's phone starts to ring...
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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE TELEGRAPH AND THE NEW STATESMAN
AS FEATURED ON THE HIGH PERFORMANCE PODCAST AND FULL DISCLOSURE WITH JAMES O'BRIEN

"A marvellous book" Rev Richard Coles

" Amazing book by an amazing woman" James O'Brien

"Gripping... filled with compassion." Sunday Times

"Remarkable... hopeful and uplifting." Mail on Sunday

"An antidote to despair" Daily Mirror

"Enthralling... vivid and humane" Observer

Lucy is a world-leading authority on recovering from disaster. She holds governments to account, supports survivors and helps communities to rebuild. She has been at the centre of the most seismic events of the last few decades, advising on everything from the 2004 tsunami and the 7/7 bombings to the Grenfell fire and the war in Ukraine. Lucy's job is to pick up the pieces and get us ready for what comes next.

Lucy takes us behind the police tape to scenes of chaos, and into government briefing rooms where confusion can reign. She also looks back at the many losses and loves of her life and career, and tells us how we can all build back after disaster.

When the Dust Settles lifts us up, showing that humanity, hope and humour can - and must - be found on the darkest days.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Audiobook, Biography, Science, Book Club

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2022

Reviews

[T A Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional read

As a retired emergency planned and part of a well known resilience team as a Local Authority me
mber, I can identify with Lucy's story and have had the privilege of attending courses run by her. This book is so well written and will open everyone's eyes to often overlooked emergency planners everywhere. Well done Lucy!!

[Martin Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chapters were a bit repetitive. More details on the disasters would have spiced it up a bit.

[MRS C ARMSTRONG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and enlightening read

I listened to one episode of this when it was book of the week on Radio 4 and knew I had to buy it. Having spent a career with the ambulance service, latterly as a Tactical Commander I was heavily involved in emergency planning, exercises and real life major events so found this book so interesting in its familiarity and it's accuracy . I loved that alongside the narrative were the family events and the angst and suffering that the family experienced over time. This isn't surprising as it was primarily a book about people, both living and dead.

[Matty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because it's an intriguing topic which is rarely discussed in public, and I wanted to learn more. I walked away better informed and it does offer some interesting insight. Some of it quite practical some of it macabre and some of it confirmed my fears; There is only so much you can plan for. Or as one quote from the books say: 'Battle plans are great until first contact with the enemy'. I didn't rate this book as high as other because I have two fundamental issues with this book.

There is a certain arrogance and a certain ' I knew it all in advance ' theme about it. The author points out a number of times she is the authority on the topic, and I felt like there is an uncalled for need to confirm that a number of times in the book. In the same vein the UK DVI (disaster victim identification unit) is positioned as world class. I can understand the professional and national pride, but other similar units from other countries have their leanings and achievements too. None of that is discussed in any detail in this book. (France teams the aftermath of facing Bataclan, or Dutch teams working on MH-17 are mentioned briefly or a single one liner and that's it). That's a missed opportunity IMHO, what did these teams learn the Brits and vice versa what did these teams learn from the UK teams ? none of that, which makes you think they work in isolation.

Then there is the other thing which is a re-occurring theme; It's a gender bias towards any female contribution to the field or fellow women colleagues and the author is quick to specifically point that out anywhere she can. But the same courtesy is not extend to her male colleagues. And if it's called out it male contributions in a negative light. (The Israeli ZAKA unit & her husband being the exception) While at the same time the point of here book (i felt) was that it's the team response and teamwork that makes or breaks disaster recovery work. Her male driver, and a highly placed male policemen clearly are her confidants and supporters yet they never recognised as such great 'male' colleagues.....

I respect the authors work and personal journey, and I found new respect for the sacrifices people in this field bring. But I would not recommend this book to anyone other then those specifically interested in this field.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Easthope has written a non-fiction book full of heart. As a child who grew up in the shadow of the Hillsborough Soccer tragedy she looks at disasters from the perspective of the aftermath and the long tail of recovery. Her focus is on the human recovery, on the importance of personal effects recovery and of closure.

She has been involved in just about every UK and global disaster where UK residents are involved since 2001, starting with 911.

In this book Lucy charts both her approach to disaster recovery plus her experience of it herself. Despite the topic this is a heartwarming and life affirming perspective and also has the reader considering how all traumatic events be they at home or in your workplace could be better handled.

Highly Recommended.

[Anschen Conradie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#whenthedustsettles – Lucy Easthope
#hodderbooks
#jonathanball

‘I’m always struck by how fine the line between catastrophe and the rest of the world can be.’ (2)

The author, based in the UK, is a world leading authority on recovering from disasters. This intimate memoir does not only take the reader behind the police tape on scenes of destruction, but also into briefing government briefing rooms and planning sessions. When the dust settles, after earthquakes, fires, floods, explosions, mass killings, pandemics, nuclear incidents, mining disasters, chemical attacks, plane crashes and volcanic eruptions, she must be there, to assess, to recover, to identify and to rebuild; to assist with the long-term recovery of communities. Amongst others the reader is taken behind the scenes of 9/11; the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami; the 7/7 bombings; the Christchurch earthquake, the inferno caused by the so-called ‘ghost train’ in Québec, 2013, the Grenfell fire and the Covid 19-pandemic.

Although the focus is on her career, she also shares intimate details of her personal life; miscarriages, her lifelong battle with dyspraxia and her husband’s health challenges (an atypical type of Mėnière’s disease) and the reminder ‘The hardest part of working in disaster in going home…. Refocusing your brain on small talk and a grocery list. Steadying your nerves when you reach for a household object – a toothbrush, a pen – the brand that you’ve seen in the wreckage.’ (14)

She frankly discusses the aftereffects of such horrific events, revering to the Welsh word ‘hiraeth’; meaning ‘a longing for a place to which there is no return, an echo of something that can never be found, a heartsickness for something that no longer exists and a time that can never be gone back to.’ (124). She concludes: ‘We can take reasonable measures to keep ourselves safe, but my work has also made me realized that every day without Armageddon is a good day.’ (150) and ‘We also have a tendency to notice the bad coincidences but not the infinite number of good coincidences that happen in equal magnitude to us every day.’ (187)

Despite the bleak subject matter, this book is a beacon of hope in an ocean of despair, a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. It is written in a conversational style and is recommended for readers interested in the dynamics of global disaster management.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Uitdieperdsebek
Jonathan Ball Publishers

[Amy Buckle / Amy's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of medical memoirs, I was recommend this by a bookseller who thought I’d enjoy it… and she was absolutely correct!!

Working as an emergency planner, Lucy’s job is to attend disaster scenes and liaise with the people involved after the initial emergency response and see what can be learnt from it – as such I expected this book to be a lot about things like building safety, fire precautions, or flight safety procedures… however, this book is overwhelmingly about people

With chapters on disasters including 9/11, the Boxing Day tsunami, 7/7, Grenfell tower, and COVID, we see how each of these shaped how we deal with the next one and both what went right and what went wrong

Having been caught up in a few near misses herself, Lucy knows all too well the human impact these events can have, not just for the victims, but for their families, friends, and even total strangers

From the struggle of victim identification and how important it is to get it right first time, to the importance of checking with relatives before throwing anything away – even what seems like insignificant rubbish, can make the difference between uncontrollable grief and being able to cope with the loss of a loved one

This is a book I’m going to be thinking about for a long time and would highly recommend it to anyone interested!!

(Trigger warning that given the subject matter, it is a hard read in places, and I can imagine an especially difficult read if you have been affected by any kind of disaster such as the ones discussed)

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a book taps you on the shoulder and politely insists that you read it. And sometimes a book demands to be read, loudly, and with a megaphone.

[Anna Dichmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book more than 5 stars!

[Katie Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb of this book is what attracted me to read it.
'An extraordinary memoir about raw humanity in the face of disaster. Easthope writes beautifully about the importance of the small things in these huge, defining moments and proves that, when the dust settles, with care and compassion we can rebuild from the ashes'
However i didn't feel that, i didn't learn anything from this book. The story starts in world war, moving onto Hillsborough, Chernobyl, 9/11, and finishing with the pandemic. Don't get me wrong it was interesting hearing about these disasters from another perspective however this book wasn't as i was expecting.

[Imro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odporúčam. Niekedy náročné čítanie, ale zo zaujímavého a netradičného prostredia. Zistíte, ako sa nakladá s pozostatkami alebo ako sa identifikujú obete po katastrofách.

[Melissa Surgey · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: Death, events involving mass fatalities/casualties, miscarriage, psychological trauma

A riveting, eye-opening and poignant insight into disaster planning and response, featuring the author's experiences of working on many high profile tragic events, including terror attacks, the Grenfell Tower fire, and the Boxing Day tsunami. I have enjoyed reading books in a similar vein (e.g. Prof Sue Black's books and Dr Richard Shepherd's Unnatural Causes) that explore the medical, sociological and political fall out from notable deaths and disasters but this genre can be at risk of feeling exploitative or in poor taste to the victims and their families. This is not the case with When The Dust Settles, and Easthope writes thoughtfully and sensitively about the impact mass death, injury and destruction of communities has on victims and their loved ones without shying away from the gut-wrenching reality of planning for and recovering from unimaginable events. Easthope's writing style makes often very specialist detail and subject matter accessible, and her personal reflections and commentary make this an engrossing read. She does not hesitate in criticising politicians and government officials for their cost-cutting and short-sightedness in not valuing or resourcing a person-centred approach to disaster planning and response that puts victims and families first. A fascinating read.

[Honey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always wary of memoirs like this, when you have an expert recalling stories of their work. Lucy Easthope is a world expert on disaster planning. So how do you inject personality while discussing gore, guts, and grief? How do you put enough fact without being too condescending to readers? The author's effort was well-appreciated. Whilst I had hoped for a bit more of the science, there was enough heart and personality to drive this book into a thought-provoking one. It is written with a lot of love, passion, and compassion.

(A note: I recently had the privilege of meeting and hearing from the author shortly after reading this book at the HSJ Patient Safety Congress, and what a treat her lecture was. It made the room gasp, laugh, and cry. Her tone was perfect, she was unafraid to be "naughty", but she was firm in her convictions she really knows her stuff. She was very much in person what she is on paper. Brilliant.)

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Work book club pick.

Incredible career detailing disasters ranging from the pandemic, to 9/11, to Grenfell. It is very well written and engaging, but I found the way this was put forward as quite self righteous.

[Desmond Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘You learnt early on that you can’t show fear or weakness. The cards are stacked against you….for being a women. So, you perfect your swagger. I sign the log. I breath in again. I am in…’

9/11, 7/7, the 2004 tsunami….the Grenfell fire. To err is human. Where technology, nature and humanity come together, disaster is inevitable. But in the aftermath of such calamity, it is Lucy Easthope who is called to recover, support and rebuilt communities.

Pulling back the police tape when the unthinkable happens, this is a story of bringing hope in the darkest of times afterwards.

It’s an eerie thought, but when disaster strikes, who steps in to help? To organize others, to support the survivors, to bring the dead to their loved ones. Easthope tells of her own journey joining Kenyon, an international recognized disaster management company that are called to repatriate the dead. Along the way she provides detailed insight to an industry that is barely known.

It was Easthope that had to procure hundreds of cookie sheets to lay out the fragments of flesh and bone when the twin towers came down. 22,000 fragments were found on the site. In going to the nth degree to identity the deceased, Easthope describes salvaging tiny pieces of paper for DNA, fingerprints and identification. They also found occasional notes which would bring some solace to those left behind.

It’s incredible to know that families would have multiple funerals for the same person, as more and more fragments were identified and released.

With profound compassion and empathy throughout, the actual work undertaken knowing what they are handling is chilling. Easthope recalls sorting limbs with boots attached, when British soldiers were returned from the war in Iraq. She also tells of gathering limbs in frantic panic after given just 30 minutes in a war zone, after a plane blown out of the sky,

Yet, It is indeed fascinating to understand the logistics: for example how field mortuaries are organized - the radiographers have to be legally distanced so their machines are safe for those also around.

Ones own morality is tested here. The work of pathologists certainly was an eye opener. But then, understanding why pigeons the biggest issue at the accident scene shows how incredibly little is known dealing with the dead in mass numbers.

As Easthope chronicles her own journey, we start to witness how the British government has gradually changed in its approach. The all to familiar refrain of cutbacks and disinterest from those on high. Easthope is scathing about the governments response to the pandemic.

A deeply moving and fascinating insight when life is at its most brutal, who comes to organize, support and recover afterwards. When humanity is taken apart, it is Easthope and her colleagues who step in with care and compassion. Even in the face of an uncaring and incompetent government.

A worthy read of raising hope at our most desperate times. 9/10.

[Lauren Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this so I'm counting it towards my total for the year.

This is an incredibly timely look into the disaster and emergency planning work that goes on quietly in the background while the rest of us get on with it.

It starts off with the Hillsborough disaster which deeply affected the city of Liverpool, the author's home city. It still does affect Liverpudlians, to the extent newsagents still refuse to sell one of Britain's biggest selling daily tabloid newspapers on its shelves. While at the time Easthope was a child, she described how the incident affected her and what path she ultimately chose to follow.

It also takes a look at other major disasters including 9/11, MH370 and the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. We also look at the Grenfell Tower fire and of course, the Covid-19 pandemic.

When The Dust Settles is a sobering look at our capacity to plan for the worst. Easthope makes it incredibly accessible by dropping in her own life story and the various disasters that have affected her family.

But above all, it's optimistic. It allows you to make up your own mind on what score the UK government gets for its capacity to plan and organise for the worst.

[Vansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Easthope is the UK’s leading authority on disaster recovery. Through this memoir, she shows you the meticulous care required n her harrowing job, the logistical nightmares, the clean-up required and most importantly, the human costs and the long-lasting fallout. She explores some disasters she was involved in and others familiar to us from the news. Prof. Easthope’s focus is on not losing sight of the human factor, and some basic issues, that if not overlooked, would have far-reaching effects. She covers a whole range of topics and it’s amazing that while her writing is an objective account of dealing with disasters, it’s also not coldly clinical-her chapter on human trafficking, for instance, is deeply moving. Easthope also tackles the Covid pandemic and sharply indicts government response to it, which makes it essential and immediate reading. She concludes on a lovely note of hope that is comforting, given her range of experiences of dealing with humanity in times of crisis.

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have heard interviews with Lucy Easthope. She is eloquent and down to earth yet does one of the most extraordinary jobs, of which many of us may be unaware.

Disaster planning is all it sounds but planning also involves learning from the aftermath and Easthope takes us through the trauma and sensitivity required of her role. Disaster comes in many forms and this books takes us to the underbelly of forward thinking, staffing and responding to "unexpected" events of all forms.

This was a fascinating read and an insight into the mindset of both the author and the tasks surrounding non blue sky thinking, however I did not enjoy the read. It was, naturally, unsettling but I found the style so different from her speaking style. Her interviews stopped me in my tracks, the writing was too laconic for my taste.

[Martina V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Britská expertka na riešenie katastrof popisuje, ako ju osobný zážitok v podobe tlačenice na futbalovom zápase v Hilborough v apríli 1989, kde zomrelo 94 ľudí, priviedol k túžbe pomáhať ľuďom postihnutým katastrofou. Chronologicky a veľmi humánne opisuje známe aj menej známe katastrofy 21. storočia, pri ktorých bola ako odborník a s akými výzvami sa pri riešení ich následkov stretla, to všetko aj na pozadí svojich osobných katastrof. Autorka je veľmi inšpiratívna, ale stretnúť by som sa s ňou nechcela, pretože má vycibrenú intuíciu a občas (dosť často) sa jej katastrofické scenáre, ktoré používa na tréning, bohužiaľ vyplnia.

[Brooke Sykes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it hard to rate this book. I think my heart lies in two places.

I’d give 5 stars to Lucy Easthope and her work. I so much admire her work ethic, commitment, empathy and compassion and I think she very articulately humanises her journey with pain and evil.

However, I settled on 3 (3.5 really) stars as I did find some of the chapters slightly repetitive and slightly triggering (particularly Covid-19, Grenfell and Essex Grays).

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Easthope is the first responders’ first responder. A woman whose job is so necessary you wonder why anyone would want to do it. She’s worked to return loved ones remains from disaster and curated responses for the 2004 tsunami, 7/7 bombings, Grenfell and more.

This book is sharp, witty, and a punch in the gut. It’s heartbreaking, hopeful and human. I can’t recommend it enough.

[Morgan Greensmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly informative and heartfelt book, revealing the people and processes behind disaster planning. I didn't know anything about this topic before reading, but Easthope covers a range of topics - from forensics to sociology - in an accessible way that explores the intersectionality of disaster planning. Also takes a look at politics, recovery, and the author's personal life.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mariana Acosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morbid at times, hopeful by the end. It is quite interesting to understand the systems thinking of disaster and those often ignored response teams for the aftermath of it - not just immediate needs but what comes after death.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enlightening read!

[Courtney Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant non fiction book that gives insight into disaster, the planning and what happens during and after. Hard to put down!

[Lorna Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In some ways I found this memoir very touching. Lucy has a very unique perspective. She is very compassionate and empathetic and I learn a lot about the world of disaster recovery.

[Rachel Merrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the authors story-telling approach to the various disaster responses she's supported, but I was also hoping for recommendations on improving disaster response now and in the future

[Holly Wedgwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and I think she seems really nice - glad she’s got our back if there’s ever a disaster 🫡

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a brilliant book

[Stuart Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting read