The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story - Hardcover

by Allan Wolf (Author), Jose Pimienta (Illustrator)

"A riveting page-turner that will have readers eager to learn more about the topic." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The strange, true tale of a Louisiana lake that vanished--taking with it every fish below and every boat and barge above--told in a gripping and accessible graphic format.

Home to catfish and crawdads, shrimp and spoonbills, even a gator or two, Lake Peigneur--pronounced "your pain," only backward--bustles also with human life. Each day, the bean-shaped freshwater lake and its shores hum with folks going about their work: a devoted gardener's apprentice and his dogs, fishermen, oilmen drilling at Well P-20, and the fifty-one miners employed by the Diamond Crystal Salt Mines. For most, November 20, 1980, began as "just another day on the lake." But as the lake itself reflects, humans had, over time, left behind a honeycomb of salt highways deep beneath its surface, and water and salt mix all too well. Bracing, suspenseful, and packed with dramatic illustrations and dense end matter, this story of a catastrophic accident--narrated with the homespun voice of a "tall" tale, but true nonetheless--will amaze science and history buffs alike.

Author Biography

Allan Wolf is the author of many books for young people, including the novel The Watch that Ends the Night, which was named one of the 50 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time by Booklist; the novel Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom; the nonfiction graphic novel The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur, illustrated by Jose Pimienta; and the poetry collection The Gift of the Broken Teacup, illustrated by Jade Orlando. His books celebrate his love of research, history, science, and poetry. He is a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, a two-time winner of the North Carolina Young Adult Book Award, and a recipient of the Bank Street College Claudia Lewis Award. Allan Wolf lives in Roanoke, Virginia, with his wife, his sister, and a dog named Mo. Learn more at www.allanwolf.com.

Jose Pimienta draws comics, storyboards, and sketches for visual development and is the creator of the graphic novels Twin Cities and Suncatcher, as well as the illustrator of Stars, Hide Your Fire by Kel McDonald and numerous other graphic novels. They live in Burbank, California.