From the Flood: A Memoir

by Suzanne Jones

**GOLD Winner of the 2022 Nonfiction Authors Association Book Award**
**2022 American Writers Awards Finalist**

It’s the summer of 1972, when six-year-old Suzie Jones and her siblings are whisked away from their home in the middle of the night, never to return again. Hurricane Agnes has triggered a devastating flood that destroys the family home and business. Suzie and her family are then set on an exhausting yet exhilarating four-year journey to build back their lives.

Suzie bounces from one quirky family member to the next before she and her family settle into a government-provided trailer for the next two years. When Suzie and her family meet a community of kids and their free-thinking parents living in the other trailers, their lives are changed forever.

This tale of loss, love, and discovery, told through the eyes of a child, is at times laugh-out-loud funny and at others deeply poignant. Chock-full of 1970s nostalgia, Suzie’s story is a delightful trip down memory lane for those who lived through the decade and a vibrant illustration of life in the ’70s for those who did not.

From the Flood teaches us that even the most difficult life circumstances provide unexpected gifts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

315 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2022

About the author

Suzanne Jones is an expert in the field of trauma recovery through somatic methods. She has presented
workshops and talks at Omega Institute, Kripalu, mental and behavioral health facilities in the greater
Boston area, and national conferences. She has been profiled on CNN and in Yoga Journal, the New York
Times, Shape, and Whole Living. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Sue has supported hundreds of women

through her online trauma recovery program (TIMBo). Her first book, There Is Nothing to Fix, received
international acclaim and won several awards. From the Flood is her second book and is a retelling of the
events of Hurricane Agnes that her and her family lived through.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Flood tells the story of the author's experience with Hurricane Agnes as a young child. As a result of the hurricane, Suzanne and her family had to evacuate their home and live with family friends on higher grounds. As the hurricane raged on, Suzanne's childhood home and neighbourhood was completely destroyed. Suzanne describes the years that followed the flood and the efforts her family and community endured in trying to rebuild.

This memoir is told from a child's perspective, as the author was only about 6 when the hurricane hit, and much of the fear and excitement was told in a very innocent way. For example, Suzanne is more worried about having to leave the fun at her temporary home with family friends than about whatever happened to her house. It also demonstrates the resiliency of children as she was able to adapt quite well to each change.

The book is divided into sections, each corresponding to an address where Suzanne lived in the 1970s. Chapters within the sections are titled by the month(s) and year that correspond to that chapter. For a young girl to have such a great memory of when each of these changes happened clearly says a lot about the challenges she faced and the impact this flood had on the rest of her life. The book is very easy to follow and it is always quite clear when and where the events take place.

The one thing that I didn't love about this book was the fact that the climax basically came in the first few chapters. The big, exciting moment of this story was the flood which took place at the very beginning. To be fair, this book is titled "From the Flood" and so it makes sense that the majority of the story would take place after the flood. However, I do feel that the years following the flood were not as exciting as the time of the flood. They were obviously very important to the story, how someone rebuilds after devastation is an important part of the conclusion of any story, but instead of being a few chapters or an epilogue, the conclusion and resolution was the story in itself. Suzanne's childhood was certainly interesting, and there were definitely some very unusual elements to her childhood that were defined because of the flood, for example living in a trailer on a golf course or the impact of her father's daily trips to the flood zone to rebuild his business and their home on his personality and their family as a whole. Suzanne also did a good job of wrapping things up when she ended the story, it just felt long and drawn out, not because it was boring but because the main action took place so early on.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs about traumatic experiences in childhood, natural disasters from history or books about coming of age in the 1970s. Thanks to Book Sirens, the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sindhu S · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about the author's experience during Hurricane Agnes and the ensuing flood that destroyed everything. It also tells you about the years after it when her family and community had to slowly rebuild it all.
Jones describes the fear everyone experienced during the hurricane and the excitement of the new lives they were creating for themselves from a child's perspective. That she can remember so much from that time reveals the extent of the impact the flood had on her life. Despite being from a child’s point of view, the chronology and descriptions of the events are quite clear.
The book is enjoyable because Jones’ childhood is interesting and unusual. She writes with dry self-deprecating humour, whether it be about her father’s stoic persistence, her mother’s emerging interest in feminism, or the idiosyncrasies of her family and friends.
Jones and the group of children around her witness glimpses of serious issues, such as the women's liberation movement, homosexuality, teenage pregnancy, and domestic violence. They do not understand much of these; their reactions to them are delightfully innocent!
Although From the Flood is a memoir written in a child’s voice, it is anything but childish. It is a charming book about what must have been a chaotic period, devoid of any melodrama or verbose descriptions.

Note: I received an advance review copy from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who doesn’t remember her childhood this was a fascinating look into what really matters when you’re young - play and family. Of course, every family is different and every family’s experience is different - even of that flood. The writing was sometimes stilted but if you keep in mind who is writing (a child), it makes perfect sense.

[Kathryn Spurgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

This true story reveals detail after detail of life in the 70s from a child’s point of view. Sometimes more detail than I wanted, but the after effects of crisis became very real.

[Teresa Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

A memoir told from the eyes of the child that lived through a devastating flood. Well...devastating to adults! The beginning of an adventure for kids.
This could have been a very sad story but the author made me laugh so hard a few times that I cried. :)

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I was provided a complimentary e-galley of FROM THE FLOOD by Suzanne Jones by the author in exchange for an honest review***

FROM THE FLOOD is an extraordinary, true story of an ordinary little girl and her family seeking a new place to call home after a devastating flood destroys their community. Set in the 1970s, Suzie witnesses her father’s persistence, her mother’s awakening feminism while learning to shine for her own uniqueness once eclipsed by her siblings.

Full disclosure, I was also in this flood in Wilkes-Barre, PA in 1972. I had just turned eight and lost my house, including all my birthday presents. I was Suzanne’s sister’s best friend, referred to in the book as Stupid Amy (no hard feelings). I would never write a false review, even for a friend, if I didn’t love the book. These are my true opinions.

Suzanne created an atmospheric story of natural disaster and through the eyes of her six-year-old that took me right back to my own experiences. This slice of life takes readers back to a time of innocence, where kindergartners could walk several blocks to their neighborhood school by themselves, without parents helicoptering their every move, orchestrating their social lives and solving their problems. Only in the most extreme cases was parental involvement necessary. We were independent, able to negotiate conflict and resilient from those experiences.

Written with self-deprecating humor, Little Suzanne doesn’t realize how uniquely perfect she is. Through her family’s struggles to rebuilt, she grows to stand in her own glory. I laughed, shed a few tears and cheered on her family. If I were to write my own story of the flood, Suzanne would be my best friend’s little sister, the girl who made me wish for a sister my whole life.

If you’re interested in coming-of-age memoirs, the 1970s or feminism FROM THE FLOOD is the book for you.

[Angela Go · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually gave this book 3 1/2 stars in my rating but Goodreads doesn't account for half stars.

Plot notes: Memoir of a child’s experience living through the flood of 1972, following Hurricane Agnes, that ruined her comfortable home and up ended her family for 50 months (just over 4 years) as they moved from temporary living at relatives’ homes, temporary trailers and finally a newly built permanent home that still didn’t seem like home.

My thoughts: This book is a memoir that reads like a fiction novel. Though written by an adult who is remembering experiences of her childhood more than 45-50 years ago, the narration is in a child’s voice, adding authenticity to the story. Her depiction of life in the early and mid-1970s rings true to those of us who lived in her time, and I found myself thinking about my thoughts, experiences, dreams, wants, etc. when I was seven or eight or ten years old.

At the core of the story is how what appears to be the worst of times for the family following the flood is actually a magical time of growing up, discovering life and different people for the children. It’s the adults who are miserable throughout the experience, except for a brief time when the family with a grandfather and the kids must be quiet and polite, the post-flood experience is an adventure.

As a side note, it was a little hard to keep some of the characters straight as there where multiple kids and their parents coming and going from the story as well as the myriads of grandparents for the four Jones kids.

I recommend this book for a look back at life in the 1970s as well as an observation of how differently children and adults experience traumatic events.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suzanne Jones was just 5 years old, when on June 23, 1972, remnants of Hurricane Agnes dumped fourteen trillion gallons of water through Wilkes-Barre, PA, causing catastrophic damage to homes and businesses. This book details the four years after the storm, as seen through the eyes of Suzy, as she, her family, and her friends, put back together the pieces of their lives the flood tried to take away. Along the way, Suzy witnesses the toil rebuilding has on the adults around her, while also experiencing “the trailer years”, a time in her life that was so special and meaningful that even now, almost 50 years later, she considers it to be one of her favorite childhood memories.

I enjoyed this book so much! The author has an incredible talent in that she can make a moment in time seem so real that you actually feel like you are there, experiencing it just as the character did, even right down to being able to smell the flood mud, because she described it so vividly. With themes such as family, friendship, religion, and overcoming, I enjoyed tagging along as Suzy grew and witnessed things that she didn't always understand at such a tender age (women's liberation movement, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence) and come to the realization that there is no other place she would want to be but “in between sisters”.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I read some of the other reviews for this book and knew I had to have it. I grew up in the 70's and throughout that entire decade, lived in a trailer park, and had a community of friends as well as neighborhood moms who would drop by unannounced weekday mornings for coffee and conversation. I used to like to listen to them talk now and then and join in on occasion once I became a teenager. My siblings were young so they were content to play and watch tv when we weren't all in school! I am also from New Jersey and had my own trauma that impacted my childhood in a negative way. But that's another story that I have been meaning to write.
I enjoyed the references to that decade of life...the cartoons such as H.R. Pufenstuff and Davy and Goliath. And those sugary cereals like Frankenberry and Count Chocula that all kids seemed to love. The Jersey shore and the Wildwood Boardwalk with the tourists and rides and the smell of Coppertone lotion.
However although I read the entire book through and felt it was interesting enough to keep reading, I did feel it was quite slow moving, like a lazy summer day that starts with anticipation as you wait to see what the day holds for you only to realize excitement is hard to come by.
This book wasn't exciting but it does have tender moments, A bit of suspense at the end, strong family ties and memories of yesterday. Sometimes that is enough.

[Julie Eagle-cardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book to the same young readers of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" because it also contains some critical life lessons for middle-schoolers and perhaps some high schoolers. The lessons in "From the Flood" cover such vital topics as fear, acceptance, patience, gratitude, community, the joy of both blood families and chosen families, gender inequality, and changing gender stereotypes.

The author beautifully handles parts of the story that might easily overwhelm younger readers, such as spouse abuse and sexual identity. She does so with a lovely light touch, which runs through all the pages. To adult readers (like me) who have long been deeply aware of prejudice and injustice, the story-telling can seem simplistic at times. Regardless, it's an extremely pleasant read. It perfectly captures a child's point of view, particularly growing up in the 70s as I did myself. Interestingly, I read this book shortly after just seeing the movie version of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," which captures that era and tween angst perfectly. It was touching when Ms. Jones recalled the helpful role that very book played as she and her sister were approaching puberty.

If my kids were still tweens (they're much older), I'd definitely give them "From the Flood." There's wisdom to be found on its pages. In our current culture, the life lessons the author includes are more crucial than ever.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read! Tender and funny, delightfully entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. A moment in time, captured in exquisite detail. The author transports us into her childhood world. Even those without a personal connection to the author or the events described can find humor and wisdom in this book. It isn't often anymore that a book keeps me up past my bedtime to read "just one more chapter," but this one did. The way the author captures the voice and perspective of her childhood self is simply extraordinary. A combination of one person's unique perspective, well told, and universal truths we can all relate to (such as the confusion kids feel when hearing conversation about "grown up" things, the impressions they form with limited information and the fervent hopes and strong feelings that adults just don't understand). A fascinating character study of the way one family dealt with a traumatic event and the ways different members of the family dealt with the aftermath differently, based on their age, their role in the family and world, and their individual temperament and priorities.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horrible tragedy of the flood notwithstanding, this story of a family and community living through literally, losing everything, enduring, and moving on and growing together and supporting one another was a joy to read. It is told through the eyes of a young girl (the author) and brought back to me so many memories of growing up it almost felt like the author might have been spying on our neighborhood. It's that quintessentially "mid-century middle-American." And of course, as a memoir, has a child's incomplete understanding of the world has its attendant fears and odd-logic connections, which result in comedic moments for the reader.

It seems there may be some greater theme here, too, to consider. And that is that despite flooding twice hitting that area so devastatingly, people returned to build again in the same place. Yes, the levee was raised again; but, in this era of climate change, do we know whether this was a wise choice? Should leaders be allowing reconstruction in known areas of devastation? When is it time to say, "that's it; call it done," build somewhere else.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written from a child's perspective- from about age 5-10, this memoir offers warm and fuzzy daily descriptions of childhood in the 70's. Playing in the woods, being gone from the house all day, their mom's coffee klatches, making entertainment from the simplest things, etc. Yes, her family experienced a disaster - their home, business and neighborhood lost to the flooding in 1972. Alone, their father worked to remove the horrors left behind buried in mud, he removed the kids to safe, familial houses - or a trailer park of like families "from the flood". As I said, a warm, fuzzy story of childhood thru a child's eyes. No trauma. No horrors for them to see. Nothing for the children to do while life around them is being remade in the background. By the end, quite boring.

With the author being a trauma coach, I expected to read about traumatized children - to help me better comprehend the world of children today experiencing war, fires, floods, terrorism, violence. This wasn't the book.

[Cathfinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very charming and sweet memoir. It’s a story of family, and community, and resilience; of how kids can live normal lives doing normal kid stuff even in situations that are far outside the norm and in the face of difficult situations.

The story is told from the perspective of the author, who was six years old when the 1972 Hurricane Agnes flood occurred and her family lost everything. Despite the premise, this book is a fun read. The narrator is earnest, and funny, a nervous and loving, smart, sweet kid. Her voice is quirky and funnily nuanced.

If you grew up in the early 70s, the book will delight you with its references: from little brothers who ate the marshmallows in the cereal every time, to “Are You There God, it’s me, Margaret”, all of the childhood iconography of the era is there.

I really enjoyed this. It’s a well told tale of strong families and strong family bonds and love. I liked the juxtaposition of how major events and major impacts show up in the day to day perspective of a kid.

[Sharla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does not have a great deal of suspense or drama, as you might expect, given the focus of this memoir. The flood in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania after Hurricane Agnes, is the jumping off point for the author's memories of her childhood during the seventies. The family loses everything in the flood and faces a difficult recovery.

What this book does have is a hefty dose of nostalgia for those of us who lived during the seventies. I was a teenager and young adult during the seventies but the author's childhood memories strike a note. I remember all the cultural background and enjoyed reliving it through her eyes. There is humor in seeing things from the viewpoint of a child. There is inspiration in the way the family faces their challenges and manages to rise above. Overall, it's a nice, enjoyable read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a comforting familiarity to me in Suzie's story as she grew up in the late 60's early 70's, as did I, and it drew me in quickly. But her family, home, all she knew, was upended by the catastrophic flood and took everything from her family overnight, leaving them physically homeless. As the Jones move between the homes of friends and family, Suzanne captures the details so accurately that all your senses experience the homes of their friends and family. She deftly crafts a story about the love, magic and faith that was gifted to Suzie as a result of their loss. I wanted to read more of this story and it's characters that came to life through Suzie's narration and asked nothing of you but to come along for the ride.

[Claire M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suzanne Jones's memoir is a beautiful book. It is entertaining, informative and thought-provoking. Sue's attention to detail brought my past to life in a way I wasn't expecting. While thankfully I have not lived through a flood, I could definitely relate to many of her childhood experiences. These include the confusion of being a child, the excitement of rummaging through cereal to find the toy wrapped in plastic, sibling rivalry, the importance of friends and the impact of being seen, heard, listened to and loved. Sue's book is one of resilience, courage, love and hope. I look forward to seeing it on the big screen!

[Hannah]

From the flood is a touching, entertaining, and utterly charming memoir about a moment of pure devastation. It is a story of lost and found told through the eyes of 6-year-old Suzie. In it, she describes how losing your home and community can lead to whole new places of discovery and wonder. It is some combination of Ramona Quimby, stand by me, and a historical account. I really enjoyed it, and it helped highlight the perspective of children through adult drama, and the importance of these seemly small yet fundamental needs of wanting to feel connected and loved. After the flood is a gift to us all, and I am grateful for the time I spent with it.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the narration of this book. It’s wonderfully simple in that it’s from a child’s perspective, but not childish … a true memoir of events remembered and recalled and not tarnished by adult ideals and verbiage.

As a survivor of a similar tragedy but as a parent at the time, it put how my children would likely have felt in the transition time between losing everything and rebuilding our lives into perspective. Eye-opening how adults and children deal and think differently about the same situations!

Nicely done!

I received a review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kathy Cvetko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching, relevant, historical

I usually don't leave reviews. However, Suzanne, this book was such a heartfelt account of the losing and gaining we all experience in this life (over something huge, or seemingly inconsequential), I was compelled to let everyone know!
Also, the references to events, fads, even TV shows of the time, were so fun to remember!
My husband went through the flood of '72, although they were in Harrisburg, so they didn't lose their house and everything. Still, his family talks about it, and I've seen the new mark on the bridge in that town of how high the waters got that year!

[Lolli Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Flood is a trip down memory lane that left my younger self (who also grew up in the 70s) feeling connected and seen. It was amazing to read Suzanne’s descriptions of feelings, places, people, and things – and have my own childhood memories rush in vivid and clear. Her storytelling is easy and inviting, and it felt like I was by her side on the exciting explorations with the "from the flood friends" brought together by Hurricane Agnes. I was transported to a time that was much less complicated, and along the way I learned about an historical event. My idea of a perfect story.

[Lyza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written through the eyes of six-year-old girl, we embark on Suzie’s innocent journey as she navigates her way through the loss of her home, complicated family relationships, friendships, and religion. We empathize with an uprooted, young girl, riddled with self-doubt and perceived imperfections, as she persists through judgment and loss. We embrace the clumsiness of Suzie’s drenched wings; we are inspired by her as she ultimately rises from the flood as a wet, resilient, soaring Phoenix.

[Bjthorbahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Read it in 2 days, it was one of those books that I just didn't want to stop reading. Being of the same generation, I related so much to the details and nostalgia. I found myself reminiscing back to my childhood. So refreshing and real to hear the thoughts and voice from a young child which was so similar to my own. Although I did not endure a flood, I did have childhood trauma and the feelings and survival skills are very similar. Highly recommend this book!

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, poignant look at life through the eyes of a young girl whose family and community experience a 100 year flood. The author speaks through the young girl offering descriptions of sights, sounds and smells that are haunting, heartbreaking and yet, somehow known to all of us. This is a perfect read for a summer book or curled up on your own warm, dry couch on a rainy afternoon. Not to be missed.

[Joanne Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Show Stopper

Suzanne Jones had done it again! She tells a poignant and compelling story of the impact of Hurricane Agnes on her hometown in Pennsylvania. We get to enter into her childhood wonder though the eyes of young Suzanne. She comments and tries to make sense of all she sees and hears, sometimes with great hilarity. It’s a beautiful story about the meaning of family, community, and sisterhood.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings back many fond memories of being a child in the 1970's. We too had favorite babysitters who played the best games or made us fun versions of our favorite foods. Though we never suffered through natural disasters my family did suffer through traumas that brought us all closer together. Warmth and nostalgia are strong in this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Deb Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed and related to so much in this memoir. While I have not experienced living though a trauma like a flood, the author's references to her childhood in the 1970s brought back so many memories from pop culture, to family and friends and trends. This read also had me pause and reflect on the many things that shaped me during this time period. A really good read as well as an opportunity for self-reflection.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me. I thought it would be a telling of Hurricane Agnes.. and it was so much more than that. It is rich with love, loss, friendship, and family. The experience of leaving home and never returning was such a different experience for each family member. It both tore them apart and reconnected them and extended family members in unexpected ways. Suzanne is an excellent story teller. It was her story and her perspective as a young child.. It was written with such courage and there were such uncertain times in her life. I could reread this book and garner more admiration for the strengths of each person.

[Robin Ofsonka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

This is the story of a family whose story of loss, love, family, friends, told from the heart of a child. A flood that took everything from a town that came together to rebuild families, friends, new friends, New challenges, New adventures and love.
Life in the 1970's was wonderful. Simple, imaginative, no electronics, playing outside, exploring, creating, I loved growing up during this time.
This story happens during this time frame. Read, remember, embrace.

[Annette Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple story but totally engrossing

I stayed up LATE two nights reading this one. Well written and told in the "voice" of a young girl. Outlines the way children are resilient and don't really see the struggles their parents go thru in the face of adversity. I highly recommend this book to any female that was lucky enough to grow up in the 70's - and was lucky enough to have siblings!