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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE TELEGRAPH AND THE NEW STATESMAN
“A marvellous book” Rev Richard Coles
“Gripping… filled with compassion.” Sunday Times
“Remarkable… hopeful and uplifting.” Mail on Sunday
“An antidote to despair” Daily Mirror
“Enthralling… vivid and humane” Observer
“Exemplary” New Statesman
When a plane crashes, a bomb explodes, a city floods or a pandemic begins, Lucy Easthope’s phone starts to ring.
Lucy is a world-leading authority on recovering from disaster. She holds governments to account, supports survivors and helps communities to rebuild. She has been at the centre of the most seismic events of the last few decades, advising on everything from the 2004 tsunami and the 7/7 bombings to the Grenfell fire and the war in Ukraine. Lucy’s job is to pick up the pieces and get us ready for what comes next.
Lucy takes us behind the police tape to scenes of chaos, and into government briefing rooms where confusion can reign. She also looks back at the many losses and loves of her life and career, and tells us how we can all build back after disaster.
When the Dust Settles lifts us up, showing that humanity, hope and humour can – and must – be found on the darkest days.
A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE TELEGRAPH AND THE NEW STATESMAN
“A marvellous book” Rev Richard Coles
“Gripping… filled with compassion.” Sunday Times
“Remarkable… hopeful and uplifting.” Mail on Sunday
“An antidote to despair” Daily Mirror
“Enthralling… vivid and humane” Observer
“Exemplary” New Statesman
When a plane crashes, a bomb explodes, a city floods or a pandemic begins, Lucy Easthope’s phone starts to ring.
Lucy is a world-leading authority on recovering from disaster. She holds governments to account, supports survivors and helps communities to rebuild. She has been at the centre of the most seismic events of the last few decades, advising on everything from the 2004 tsunami and the 7/7 bombings to the Grenfell fire and the war in Ukraine. Lucy’s job is to pick up the pieces and get us ready for what comes next.
Lucy takes us behind the police tape to scenes of chaos, and into government briefing rooms where confusion can reign. She also looks back at the many losses and loves of her life and career, and tells us how we can all build back after disaster.
When the Dust Settles lifts us up, showing that humanity, hope and humour can – and must – be found on the darkest days.
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Reviews
Rewrites your perceptions of the disasters and wars of our lifetime with vivid details and vignettes... laced with humanity and decency. A literary memento which honours the messy truth of life.'
Deeply humane, occasionally unsettling, and strangely uplifting
The disasters recalled here often read like short stories, each of them filled with high drama, surreal twists and mysteries to be solved.
An essential, uplifting read, brimming with humanity, humility and humour.
Her sensitive and profoundly moral book explores how human beings can preserve their resilience and live with loss.
Never less than reassuringly humane... She shows and tells and, vitally, cares.
An unlikely superhero... this gripping memoir is full of compassion. A remarkable insight into the decisions involved in disaster planning.
Easthope, whether she knows it or not, is that rare thing, a genuine philosopher thinking through what she is actually doing in the mitigation of human suffering.
The disasters recalled here often read like short stories, each of them filled with high drama, surreal twists and mysteries to be solved.
'A remarkable account...This should be a dark and depressing read; that it isn't, that it is ultimately hopeful and uplifting, is down to the utter human decency that the author represents'
An essential, uplifting read, brimming with humanity, humility and humour.
An entirely unique vision of the human experience
Candid, unsettling and darkly funny
Poignant, funny, analytical and profoundly humane
Dauntless and forthright
Deeply humane, occasionally unsettling, and strangely uplifting
A book of horror and hope, written with rare humanity.
When the Dust Settles taught me is that all experiences are of value... Easthope shows us how perfection and imperfection are woven together. Everything is flawed. Yet there is also hope despite the flaws.
Her sensitive and profoundly moral book explores how human beings can preserve their resilience and live with loss.
Rewrites your perceptions of the disasters and wars of our lifetime with vivid details and vignettes... laced with humanity and decency. A literary memento which honours the messy truth of life.'
An inspiring memoir. Easthope advises, supports and helps to rebuild lives.
A riveting no-nonsense memoir that pulls back the curtains on your worst fears and shows you that someone, somewhere, will always truly care.
Outstanding... a graphic but deeply humane account of what drew her to take on such work, and how she steels herself to tackle the worst of human scenarios.
An inspiring memoir. Easthope advises, supports and helps to rebuild lives.
Dauntless and forthright
A book of horror and hope, written with rare humanity.
A riveting no-nonsense memoir that pulls back the curtains on your worst fears and shows you that someone, somewhere, will always truly care.
Outstanding... a deeply humane account of what drew her to take on such work, and how she steels herself to tackle the worst of human scenarios.
When the Dust Settles taught me is that all experiences are of value... Easthope shows us how perfection and imperfection are woven together. Everything is flawed. Yet there is also hope despite the flaws.
Easthope, whether she knows it or not, is that rare thing, a genuine philosopher thinking through what she is actually doing in the mitigation of human suffering.
'A remarkable account...This should be a dark and depressing read; that it isn't, that it is ultimately hopeful and uplifting, is down to the utter human decency that the author represents'
Never less than reassuringly humane... She shows and tells and, vitally, cares.
An entirely unique vision of the human experience
Candid, unsettling and darkly funny
Poignant, funny, analytical and profoundly humane
An unlikely superhero... this gripping memoir is full of compassion. A remarkable insight into the decisions involved in disaster planning.