Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast - Tapa dura

Mike Tidwell knew nothing of the disappearing bayou country when he first visited the Cajun coast of Louisiana, but the evidence was all around him: the skeletons of oak trees killed by the salinity of the groundwater, whole cemeteries sinking into swampland and out of sight, telephone poles in deep, standing water. Thanks to human hands, the storied Louisiana coast was eroding, subsiding, and joining the Gulf of Mexico - making it the fastest disappearing landmass on Earth. Yet no one seemed to know how to talk about the problem. Tidwell, a celebrated travel and environmental writer, decided to begin the much-needed conversation, and this vivid, elegiac book is the result.
Tidwell introduces us to the surprisingly varied population of the area: the Cajun men and women who work the seasonal shrimp harvest, the Vietnamese fishermen, the Houma Indians driven to the farthest ends of the bayou by the first European settlers. He describes the food, the music, the culture, and the life of all those who live along the bayous. And under his keenly observant eye, the bayou itself becomes a compelling character - reminding us of how much we stand to lose if we fail to address the problems facing this most vibrant of places.

Mike Tidwell is the author of four previous books, including In the Mountains of Heaven and Amazon Stranger. His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Reader's Digest, and The Washington Post. He is the recipient of an NEA fellowship and two Lowell Thomas Awards for travel journalism. He was born in Tennessee, raised in Georgia, and now lives in the Washington, D.C., area.