Amanda Bath’s 2015 book Disaster in Paradise recounts the devastating 2012 landslides of Johnson’s Landing, BC. Written in a biographical, creative non-fiction style, the book provides insight into Bath’s life and how she and several others were affected by the landslides. In her words, it is a love story about place, home, friends, “love of one’s pet [and the] things that identify you.”
In a remote location, Johnson’s Landing provided a peaceful home for a small, close-knit community. The town’s beauty took the form of wildlife, fresh mountain air, ancient trees, and pristine water. Residents tended home gardens that yielded fruits and vegetables and neighbours worked together on community construction projects. However, the peace was rudely interrupted when disaster struck.
The trauma resulting from her loss is explored as an inevitable result of enduring a natural disaster. Having lost her home, her belongings, her cat, and four members of her community, Bath struggles to cope and find a way to move forward.
Through her journey she discovers that writing provides a much-needed outlet for her thoughts. “The book was channeling through me and it wanted to be written down,” she explained. “It helps to make it real, helps people to accept what happened.”
Many people who have experienced trauma will be able to connect to Disaster in Paradise. Whether someone has endured a massively destructive force of nature, such as an earthquake or a massive flood, or is suffering the loss of a loved one, there is something in Bath’s words for everyone.
Her book is an inspiration and proof that even someone who has experienced a tremendous loss can find a way to move forward. She highlights the emotional whirlwind she felt during and after a disaster. “When a disaster happens, and you think that life is over,” she said, “you will recover, and life may even be better afterwards. There are hidden gifts under the mud.”
In addition to using writing as a coping mechanism, professional counselling also helped Bath to move forward. As she explained, counselling provides one with a safe setting for someone to express themselves, come to terms with drastic changes that have occurred in their life, and find their happiness again. She recommends that anyone who has suffered a traumatic event should seek out counselling as it helps to prevent post-traumatic stress.
The landslides damaged much of the property in Johnson’s Landing, which still presently challenges community members’ ability to function on a daily basis. Bath hopes that her book will motivate improvements in the provincial government’s response to disasters.
“The big problem that people have on the south side [of Johnson’s Landing] is they still don’t have a permanent water system,” Bath explained, “and this is an absolute outrage. The government has let Johnson’s Landing down very badly.” Bath explained that the provincial government needs to take responsibility for the repairs because the destruction occurred on Crown Land.
Few authors’ first books are written with such sophistication, and Disaster in Paradise is well worth the read. Bath is an insightful writer and her book is a masterful telling of emotional events, life lessons, and overcoming adversity. Readers should also keep an eye out for a potential upcoming prequel detailing Bath’s initial arrival in Johnson’s Landing.
Nice review! I love reading this!