Pulp into Paper

by Lenore Weiss

"Pulp to Paper is an engaging, disturbing and sometimes humorous novel exposing a calcified network of corruption between a company (Rand-Atlantic) and the government (EPA) in a small Southern town where “the stink [is] the smell of money.” Weiss’s talent for detail is extraordinary as she takes us into the homes, sandwich shops and hydrogen-sulfide infested creeks of East Hentsbury with its unforgettable cast of characters."
-Leslie Kirk Campbell, The Man with Eight Pairs of Legs

"This is a time of great tribulation, and I believe Lenore Weiss has a voice that can help us through it. Read this book."
-Luis Alberto Urrea, Good Night, Irene

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In the close-knit community of Hentsbury, racism and the local paper mill’s oppressive control over the town collide in a gripping tale set in the 1990s in southern Arkansas along the fictional Mud River.

Rae-Ann, owner of a convenience store and unofficial mayor of Hentsbury, finds her life intertwined with Vernon’s when a budding romance between them hits an unexpected roadblock. Their love story takes an abrupt turn when chemicals from the mill’s runoff claim the life of Rincon, a young black boy battling acute asthma. In a harrowing failed rescue attempt, Vernon, the plant’s Environmental Officer, relives the trauma of holding the dying boy in his arms.

As the community grapples with this tragedy, Vernon stumbles upon a back-door deal between state and local officials who ask him to suppress critical information about the mill’s dangerous hydrogen sulfide emissions. With the rising tensions, Rae-Ann begins to question whether Vernon will stand by his principles.

In the end, it’s Rincon’s determined grandmother, along with Rae-Ann and her older sister, who rallies the town to take action. Their efforts lead to the arrival of an EPA investigatory team, but not without consequences. When the dust settles, Vernon loses his job, but he and Rae-Ann embark on a new chapter in life together.

238 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2024

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page-turner! Through wonderful character development and plot, Weiss kept me engaged in learning about the horrible underbelly of the paper-milling industry. I was, by turns, enraged, hopeful, and touched by the lives and tragedies of the residents of Hentsbury. Read this!

[Beth W · Rating 4 out of 5]

With an important subject and well-developed and engaging characters, this timely novel is slightly marred by poor copy editing which occasionally interrupted the flow.

[Nancy Herbst · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an extraordinary and timely novel Pulp into Paper is.
The story, the setting and characters are real and what they experience inform the reader what occurs in mill towns in our country. The book highlights the choices citizens have to make in their lives.

Do read this!

[Dvora Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got really involved in the story and people/characters in this book. I read every night before going to sleep. With this book, not only did I look forward to my night time reading, I would read during the day, which is rare for me to take the time out to do that. I felt like these were people I knew, going through hard decisions and complicated relationships a lot of us can relate to. How it threads in the environmental elements throughout the book is both in your face and subtle. I felt like I was right there in the town with these folks and feeling and thinking about how I would deal with all that was going on there.
Definitely worth reading. I highly recommend this book!

[Nik Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful exploration of the conflicted relationship between a small town in Arkansas and the primary employer—Rand Atlantic, who are dumping effluents into the local water supply. There are no easy answers as the main characters struggle to tease the truth from Rand's tangled web of lies and misdirections, and even more importantly seek justice for the sick, the dispossessed, the dying and the already dead. I greatly admire Lenore Weiss' vibrant characters the ease with which she weaves evocative language throughout the narrative.

A great read! I recommend it!

[Kimberly Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Really enjoyed this engaging novel. The dialogue, the detail and the tone collaborate for a great reading experience. And without being clobbered or distracted, I learned a lot about paper production.

I enjoyed traveling with the the multi-dimensional characters on their journeys. The story is funny, heartbreaking and relevant. It is a masterful collision between a corrupt company, government collusion and a town. The folks of East Hentsbury have complex lives, and in Pulp into Paper they learn how to regard each other's realities beyond assumptions and deepen into complex relationships with each other and their town.

[Andrea Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I like about this book is the continual awareness of the different pulls on people – personal integrity balanced against career advancement or monetary gain; threats to health balanced against financial security; personal well-being and romantic impulses balanced against the health and safety of others; doing what you love balanced against doing what makes money. And all is underlined and made real through moment-by-moment descriptions of ordinary activities carried on during serious conversations, such as making sandwiches and handing them to customers while discussing strategy for a controversial press conference. An absorbing and worthwhile read!

[Anance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Weiss develops complex characters that you will find yourself growing attached to, all while highlighting the environmental impact of the paper production industry, especially on people in poor parts of the country. Will definitely make you think twice about drinking your next glass of tap water!

[Rick McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling, funny, but realistic story with lots of local color about Arkansas and Louisiana, interesting characters, and a plot about environmental and racial justice with a good love story as well.

[Ann Temple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please do read this engaging novel. It’s a story that we all need to know and understand. I loved the suspense and dialogue. Ann Temple

[Adele Mendelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lenore Weiss has written and powerful and important work. In addition to being an enjoyable read, it has educated me to an environmental problem I never knew existed.