Words Whispered in Water, Anniversary Edition: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina - Paperback

by Sandy Rosenthal (Author), Jordan Chariton (Foreword by)

The New Orleans Flood, U.S. Corruption, and Disasters

"Rosenthal employs the surgical precision of an investigative journalist and the craft of a memoirist to expose the flaws, natural and human, behind the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina." --The Eric Hoffer Award Program

2020 Nautilus Silver Winner

#1 New Release in Civil Engineering & Environmental, Urban & City Planning, Development, and Disaster Relief

In the aftermath of one of the worst disasters in US history, Words Whispered in Water tells the story of one woman's fight--against all odds--to expose a mammoth federal agency--and win.

It's a horror story, a mystery, and a David-and-Goliath story all in one. In 2005, the entire world watched as a major US city was nearly wiped off the map. The levees ruptured and New Orleans drowned. But while newscasters attributed the New Orleans flood to "natural catastrophes" and other types of disasters, citizen investigator Sandy Rosenthal set out to expose the true culprit and compel the media and government to tell the truth. This is her story.

When the protective steel flood-walls broke, the Army Corps of Engineers--with cooperation from big media--turned the blame on natural disasters. In the chaotic aftermath, Rosenthal uncovers the US corruption and big media at its root. Follow this New Orleans hero as she exposes the federal agency's egregious design errors and eventually changes the narrative surrounding the New Orleans flood. In this engaging and revealing tale of man versus nature and man versus man, Words Whispered in Water proves that the power of a single individual is alive and well.

If you enjoyed books like The Johnstown Flood, Breach of Faith, or The Great Deluge, then Words Whispered in Water is your next read!

Author Biography

Sandy Rosenthal is an American civic activist and founder of Levees.Org, an organization dedicated to educating the American public about levee failures and flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Most recently, Rosenthal was awarded Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year from Tulane University for her efforts. She is a founding member of the mentoring program Laurel Eagles. When she's not advocating for safe levees, she's practicing with her Mardi Gras parading group, the Divine Revelers of Terpsichore.

She currently lives in New Orleans with her two dogs, Twinkie and Cupcake.