Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe by Jared Sullivan is a gripping and deeply human account of a community devastated by corporate negligence and the tireless fight for justice that followed. Sullivan’s firsthand perspective as a lawyer working on behalf of the victims brings raw emotion and urgency to this powerful narrative.

The book expertly weaves the personal stories of those impacted by the disaster with an incisive critique of the coal industry’s disregard for human lives and environmental safety. Sullivan’s writing is both compassionate and unflinching, capturing the complexities of the legal battle and the resilience of the community he represents.

Valley So Low is more than a legal memoir—it’s a call to action and a testament to the strength of ordinary people demanding accountability. It’s a must-read for anyone concerned with environmental justice, corporate responsibility, and the enduring fight for equity in America.

Y'all.

This is a VERY difficult book to read. Four days after finishing it, I am still thinking about it, still angry as all get out [how DO these horrible lawyers and corporate yahoos even SLEEP at night knowing what they are doing to other human beings??], and still crying for those who have lost everything [including their VERY lives] and continue to lose [all at the hands of people who clearly have no heart, no shame, and no empathy whatsoever] and am still just in shock at how criminal it all really is.

The story that is on the pages of this book will stay with you and I will be haunted by what I read and the people I read about for the rest of my life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jared Sullivan, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor/Knopf for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jared Sullivan gives an unflinchingly comprehensive, historical look at the damaging effects of the Appalachian coal industry coupled with corporate greed, in a book that is heartbreaking and horrifying, but highly readable owing to his compassion. From the TVA power plant disaster that took place in Kingston, TN in 2008 beyond its cleanup completion in 2015, we witness events as experienced from the point of view of blue collar workers, dedicated lawyers on their case, and innocent family members and the community at large rendered collateral damage.

I appreciate the detailed explanation of TVA's creation in 1933 and how it evolved from saviour to perpetrator; the parallels drawn between WWII weapons stockpiling in Oak Ridge, TN and the Chernobyl disaster; the description of medical symptoms and scientific processes in easy to understand layman's terms; and the bits of interesting trivia, family drama, and downhome humor sprinkled throughout. I hope Valley So Low achieves the Erin Brockovich level attention it deserves.