In late June 2013, Southern Alberta was hit by floods that not only affected small cities and towns, but also the largest city in the province. This book was put together by the Calgary Herald, one of the daily newspapers. It tells the story of the flooding, but a good portion of the “story” is told through the photographs included. There is more text in the first and last chapters (The Raging Waters and Hell or High Water) but the middle chapters are almost all photos.

The chapters tell the story starting with the flood itself, then the damage and devastation, then the cleanup and the amazing number of people volunteering to help out afterward.

I am biased. I live in Calgary and was here while it happened. I certainly knew the events that happened, but this included some detail I hadn't known about, including more information on the few people who died in the flooding (five people died; over 100,000 people were evacuated). As I read this just over one year later, all kinds of emotions went through me while I was reading and looking at the photographs (probably most I'd seen before; some I remember, some I don't). The first chapter, especially, was written so well, I felt almost on the edge of my seat, though I knew what happened. Though I was not directly affected (work or home), I certainly knew a lot of people who were (many evacuated), and I could see the devastation not too far from where I lived and on my route (very detoured) to and from work. I thought this book was incredibly well done. ( )