Let the Power Fall is a compelling and brilliantly crafted novel by one of this country’s finest new writers. Although this work of fiction set in North Dakota in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s and culminating in the present – its familiar and tragic plot lines are reverberating in backyards and communities across America and the world.

This generational and cautionary tale humanizes the history and impact of fracking in two local communities by detailing the plight of both the white community and the marginalized local Indian tribes with the sensitivity of a true North Dakota son.

James Goertel’s inspired, lyrical writing and his poetic characterization of the earth, turns what might seem a dull, dry subject into a veritable screenplay for a blockbuster film about corporate greed and environmental disaster. If you read only one book this year, let it be this one.