WBUR’s Here and Now interviews Deborah Kops on her new children’s book about the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 in Boston’s North End along Commercial Street.
This bizarre tragedy has been written about before, but Kops decided to tell the story partly through the eyes of children who lived through it. “Disaster books are almost a genre in children’s literature, kids really do like to read about disasters,” Kops told Here & Now’s Sacha Pfeiffer.
H/T to SupahFan’s Kevin Kruger for the submission.
Previous posts that you may find interesting:
- Stephen Puleo’s Guided Tour of 1919 Great Molasses Flood Site on North End’s Commercial St.
- NE Branch Library Book Sale Was A Great Success
Posted by: Matt Conti
Thanks – I’ll keep an eye out for a copy of this book in the North End Library for my five-year-old son and I to read. When I was very small, some of my family members could still recall the Great Molasses Disaster: the dead horses and the lingering smell were what made the biggest impression on their young minds! It’s somewhat incredible to realize as well that the North End Beach was practically next door – kids were going swimming next to all these industrial tanks!