Kate Hannigan

This STEAM biography highlights how scientist and writer Rachel Carson became the author of the groundbreaking book Silent Springand the mother of the modern environmental movement.

 

Rachel Carson wasn’t always the Rachel Carson, renowned environmental activist. From her earliest years, Rachel had a passion for nature—to her, it was a fairyland, and she loved to write about her adventures and the creatures she saw. Encouraged by teachers, Rachel wanted nothing more than to study the ocean and its inhabitants. Though unable to finish her PhD due to financial constraints, Rachel found work in science and success as a nature writer.

 

In the course of her work, Rachel learned about the harm caused by recently developed pesticides and chemicals that made their way into the environment. Desperate to protect nature for future generations even as her health declined, she penned the famous book Silent Spring—a call to action against the threat of the deadly chemicals. The book is anything but quiet, selling more than 2 million copies and leading directly to changes like the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Clean Water Act of 1972.

 

Kate Hannigan, the author of several award-winning children’s books, brings the mother of the environmental movement to life for a new generation of readers.

 

"A soaring tribute to the perceptive naturalist and writer who jump-started the modern environmental movement … (v)ivid and perceptive."—Kirkus Reviews