Book Review: Last Days of Last Island

Reviewed by Jared Bosco

The non-fiction novel Last Days of Last Island was a very informative account of the 1856 hurricane.

Bill Dixon has done a great deal of researching for his novel. It included information about the coastal effects, lives of residents, and even about the ships sailing in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Last Days of Last Island presents a large amount of information about the August hurricane that obliterated part of the Louisiana coast. Photographs and maps are even included in order to illustrate points and put faces to some of the names that the storm affected. While reading the book, more information is presented than just about the hurricane.

I feel like this novel was written very well. It provided accounts of individuals who were witnesses to this tragedy. I would recommend this book because it gives an insight to important Louisiana history. It was also published locally by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press.

Jared Bosco is a graduating senior in the Gifted program at Hahnville High. He is the student body president of Hahnville High and enjoys various activities such as hunting and fishing. He plans to attend the University of Louisiana Monroe and major in Pharmacy this fall.

Book reviews are published weekly in agreement with Hahnville High School gifted English teacher Deborah Unger in conjunction with the Brown Foundation Service Learning Program.