Rating: 
Summary: A roaring success!
Review: Smudging our national fabric are stains of disaster like the one smeared across the southern suburbs of Kansas City one muggy night in 1957. Through her own experiences as a child survivor, and those of dozens of living witnesses, Brewer has compiled a rich and true tale of the impact, recovery, and lingering torment from a multiple-vortex, F5 tornado. Warnings weren't too accurate or timely then; the weather bulletin advised residents only of the threat of high winds and hail. When the vortex struck, 44 people died, over 500 others lay injured, and thousands of families' lives were torn loose from the security of bustling, post-war, Levittown-style suburbia. As the stories unfold, one can almost see the smoldering rubble, and smell the aroma of electrical ozone and shredded trees. Concurrent parts of the survivors' inverviews are excerpted together in each chronological chapter, from the tornado's first sightings to recollection from the 1990s. The book could have used another diligent proofreader or two. Its organization is rather choppy; and there are too many misspellings. The research, however, was resoundingly thorough, rendering a richly endowed anthology of personal tales from a single evening of terror long ago. Tornado survivors, disaster historians and Kansas City residents alike will appreciate Caught in the Path; however, its most needed audience may be severe weather aficionados: storm chasers, storm spotters and professional meteorologists. To them (and me, a former NSSFC forecaster), Brewer shows the side of severe weather we too often fail to appreciate when we research, forecast, or observe storms. Through these pages, the survivors of Kansas City's last violent tornado teach us lessons about what happens beneath those radar echoes and dark clouds. Their tales of survival show us why we do what we do -- to minimize such carnage and horror whenever the big one hits again, anywhere, anytime.
Rating: 
Summary: The raw human side of a violent tornado
Review: Smudging our national fabric are stains of disaster like the one smeared across the southern suburbs of Kansas City one muggy night in 1957. Through her own experiences as a child survivor, and those of dozens of living witnesses, Brewer has compiled a rich and true tale of the impact, recovery, and lingering torment from a multiple-vortex, F5 tornado. Warnings weren't too accurate or timely then; the weather bulletin advised residents only of the threat of high winds and hail. When the vortex struck, 44 people died, over 500 others lay injured, and thousands of families' lives were torn loose from the security of bustling, post-war, Levittown-style suburbia. As the stories unfold, one can almost see the smoldering rubble, and smell the aroma of electrical ozone and shredded trees. Concurrent parts of the survivors' inverviews are excerpted together in each chronological chapter, from the tornado's first sightings to recollection from the 1990s. The book could have used another diligent proofreader or two. Its organization is rather choppy; and there are too many misspellings. The research, however, was resoundingly thorough, rendering a richly endowed anthology of personal tales from a single evening of terror long ago. Tornado survivors, disaster historians and Kansas City residents alike will appreciate Caught in the Path; however, its most needed audience may be severe weather aficionados: storm chasers, storm spotters and professional meteorologists. To them (and me, a former NSSFC forecaster), Brewer shows the side of severe weather we too often fail to appreciate when we research, forecast, or observe storms. Through these pages, the survivors of Kansas City's last violent tornado teach us lessons about what happens beneath those radar echoes and dark clouds. Their tales of survival show us why we do what we do -- to minimize such carnage and horror whenever the big one hits again, anywhere, anytime.
Rating:
Summary: A book that catches you "in the path" of emotions.
Review: Carolyn Brewer does an excellent job of putting the reader in the path of the deadly Ruskin Heights, Missouri, tornado. The tales from the survivors are timeless and should be remembered each Spring. It is a sometimes sad, yet beautiful story of a community coming together under catastrophic circumstances. Brave men, women and children who, after losing everything to the most violent temper of nature, form as one to rebuild. This is a MUST read for anyone living in "tornado alley" which, given the year of El Nino, has expanded its right-of-way. DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!!!
Rating:
Summary: A time warp to my childhood
Review: Carolyn Brewer's book took me on a journey to my past, Her recounting of the Ruskin Heights tornado through interviews with survivors made those intense Summer evenings come rushing back like the storm winds themselves. No one who grew up in "Tornado Alley" could read this book and not be moved. I applaud her courage and that of the people who shared that night of terror with all of us.
Rating:
Summary: The survivors side of the story
Review: I am greatly interested in weather and tornados and have read widely in this area. This is the best book for making the event and aftermath real from the victims viewpoint. You hear of the actual events that were witnessed and experienced during the tornados passage-some causing death or horrific injury (tho not in unnecessary detail). You experience their shock and recovery from this terrible ordeal, as they pull their lives back together again. A very worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: The survivors side of the story
Review: I am greatly interested in weather and tornados and have read widely in this area. This is the best book for making the event and aftermath real from the victims viewpoint. You hear of the actual events that were witnessed and experienced during the tornados passage-some causing death or horrific injury (tho not in unnecessary detail). You experience their shock and recovery from this terrible ordeal, as they pull their lives back together again. A very worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: A roaring success!
Review: I came across this book on a visit to St. Louis and grabbed it. It may just be the best book ever written about a tornado--it's riveting start to finish and the spotlight is on people and their lives. It's a great movie in print with a terrific plot, memorable characters and a lot of heroism mixed in.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing account of disaster and its aftermath
Review: I lived next door to Carolyn Brewer when our lives were changed forever. I'm Shannon McNamara, one of the babies mentioned in the book. I don't remember anything about the incident, but grew up hearing some of the less frightening tales, and nobody talked about the emotional toll. Back in the 50's and 60's people did not openly discuss their feelings. Carolyn not only depicted the events that took place, but also captured the feelings that were held in for over 40 years. I cried through many of the stories, but there were humorous times too. Carolyn not only told of the destruction, but how a city pulled together and rebuilt their lives. On a personal level, the book helped explain to me some of the emotional turmoil our family and friends dealt with years later. I have lent this book to many of my friends here in Chicago. Even though they grew up outside of "Tornado Alley" they were captivated the entire book. We all liked the way Carolyn wrote the book in chronological order, and put in a name index at the end. We could then re-read some of the stories over and again from an individual's point of view. It is not a book you can read straight through and put down. Thanks, Carolyn, for a beautifully written and illustrated book about this incredible episode.
Rating:
Summary: This book took me on a personal journey of my past.
Review: I lived next door to Carolyn Brewer when our lives were changed forever. I'm Shannon McNamara, one of the babies mentioned in the book. I don't remember anything about the incident, but grew up hearing some of the less frightening tales, and nobody talked about the emotional toll. Back in the 50's and 60's people did not openly discuss their feelings. Carolyn not only depicted the events that took place, but also captured the feelings that were held in for over 40 years. I cried through many of the stories, but there were humorous times too. Carolyn not only told of the destruction, but how a city pulled together and rebuilt their lives. On a personal level, the book helped explain to me some of the emotional turmoil our family and friends dealt with years later. I have lent this book to many of my friends here in Chicago. Even though they grew up outside of "Tornado Alley" they were captivated the entire book. We all liked the way Carolyn wrote the book in chronological order, and put in a name index at the end. We could then re-read some of the stories over and again from an individual's point of view. It is not a book you can read straight through and put down. Thanks, Carolyn, for a beautifully written and illustrated book about this incredible episode.
Rating:
Summary: Memories
Review: I, too, lived through the Ruskin Heights tornado. I am older than Carolyn and did not know her, but I know many of the people she interviewed for the book. Reading it was like a visit with old friends. Truly, whenever I get together with my Ruskin friends, the tornado is always a topic of conversation. In fact, I'm ordering a copy of the book for a friend who missed it. I'm glad to find it still available. I graduated from Ruskin High School in 1954, and my younger brother graduated in 1957. The baccalaureate service had been held in the high school gym on Sunday afternoon, and commencement was scheduled for Tuesday evening. But Monday evening the high school blew away. We lived on Highway 71, across from the Crest Drive-In Theater. I worked as a legal secretary in downtown KC and was working late that night. My boss tried to take me home but we were turned back at the intersection of Prospect and Highway 71. I asked the man who turned us back if he knew whether the Crest theater screen was still standing, and he said he wasn't sure but he thought it was. If the tornado followed the usual directional path, it would have gotten the movie screen before it got our house; so I was reasonably assured that our house was still there. I went to a friend's house in KC and without expecting success, picked up the phone to call my mother. I got no dial tone, just an open line, and tentatively said "hello?" And my mother answered me! She had just dialed the friend's number and I had picked up the phone before it rang. By this incredible luck I learned that night that our house was undamaged. The tornado passed about a quarter of a mile south of us. Last week I had dinner with a group of friends from that era. One man told about working far into that night looking for and rescuing survivors with a fire department unit in the Hickman Orchard. He said his crew could see looters working the houses just ahead of them. They couldn't do anything about the looters because they were focusing on finding survivors. A sad but true tale. Carolyn Brewer did a great job with this book. It is a real service to help us remember.
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