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Susan McBeth’s
                             TRAVEL BY THE BOOK







                       “The Day the Falls Stood Still” by Cathy Marie Buchanan


              t’s difficult to imagine a Canada without Niagara Falls, yet   Having inherited a gift for reading the forces and whims of the
              some scientists have predicted that in perhaps 50,000   river from his legendary grandfather, Fergus Cole, Tom is con-
              years, this iconic natural wonder will fall victim to ero-  nected to, and concerned by,  its “awful grandeur” and “fright-
              sion, global warming, and the ever-increasing need for   ful beauty.” Bess is intrigued, and confused, by his religious-like
          Ihydroelectric power. Gone would be the American Falls,  worship of the river.
          the Horseshoe Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls, all of which con-
          tribute to making Niagara Falls one of the most popular tourist  When the pair eventually unite forces in marriage, their two
          destinations in the world. Gone would be the thousands of tons   worlds are destined to collide, especially when they start a
          of water that continuously flow over Niagara Falls and the mil-  family and find they are unable to support their new family
          lions of kilowatts of electricity they are capable of producing.  unless Tom takes a job at the hydroelectric power plant that
          And certainly gone would be the lure                                    he is convinced is slowly destroying
          of outrageous stunts that have drawn                                    his beloved river.  As he secretly doc-
          record-seekers and daredevils for as                                    uments the domino effect of destruc-
          long as we can remember.                                                tion it plays on the natural world, he
                                                                                  explains to Bess how that “kind of
           What would remain, however, are the                                    complexity doesn’t happen by chance,”
          stories, the history, and yes, the leg-                                 and he becomes increasingly morose
          ends, much like those incorporated                                      and conflicted.
          into Cathy Marie Buchanan’s debut
          novel, “The Day the Falls Stood Still“                                  Bess  eventually  comes  to  realize  the
          (Voice Publishing 2009). Setting the                                    toll the job is taking on her husband’s
          romance of young lovers Bess Heath                                      conscience and sets in motion a
          and  Tom  Cole  amidst  the  develop-                                   scheme that will cost him his job, but
          ment of hydroelectric power in the                                      salvage his principles. What they have
          early 1900’s, Buchanan skillfully de-                                   learned collectively is that it is pos-
          velops a dialogue of specific interest                                  sible to accept the role of the hydro-
          to travelers--the challenges inher-                                     electric power industry in the human
          ent in balancing exploitation of our                                    desire for progress, so long as it is bal-
          natural resources for the benefit of                                    anced with a mechanism designed to
          humans versus preservation and pro-                                     protect nature’s gifts for future gener-
          tection of these pristine wonders for                                   ations to enjoy and admire.
          future generations.
                                                                                  The confluence of Buchanan’s under-
          Born and raised in Niagara Falls, On-                                   graduate degree in biochemistry, an
          tario, Buchanan is uniquely qualified                                   MBA, and a distinct talent for writing
          to represent both interests, which she does through Bess, who   has allowed her to create a novel that flows much like the Niag-
          lives a life of privilege as the younger daughter of a successful   ara River itself—naturally and beautifully. But when it reaches
          Niagara Power Company executive who believes the bounties   the brink of the falls and its destiny, it is incumbent upon the
          of nature ought to be utilized for progress, and working class   reader to decide where is “that thin line that separates eternity
          Tom, who subsists on the river and is driven by an intense de-  from time.” (James K. Liston, “Niagara Falls: A Poem”)
          sire to preserve and protect the same river that is being exploit-
          ed by the emerging hydroelectric power industry.    So if Niagara Falls is on your bucket list, there is no need to rush
                                                              your visit, as it will not be disappearing anytime soon.  But in
          At age seventeen, Bess’s affluent lifestyle comes to an abrupt   preparation for your travels, or just for an engaging book selec-
          end when her father loses his job and the family suffers a hor-  tion in the meantime, The Day the Falls Stood Still will provide
          rendous loss. When she meets Tom through a chance encoun-  some historical context and fodder for stimulating discussion,
          ter at this precise moment, the undercurrent of attraction is   preferably over dinner: fresh catch of the day and a good bottle
          as strong as the flow of the river which is so integral to both.  of Canadian wine of course. ~By Susan McBeth







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