C. D. Mitchell

Introduction-In the summer of 1990, Iben Browning predicted an apocalyptic earthquake would strike the New Madrid Fault on December 3rd, 1990, devastating the heartland from St. Louis to Memphis. After the San Andreas, the New Madrid Fault line is the most active earthquake zone in the United States. The fault has produced devastating earthquakes in the past, and scientists agree it is simply a matter of time before the next one occurs.
The tales in Alligator Stew reveal the fictional lives and actions of the people who lived through the Iben Browning prediction.
Some of the town-folks feared the success of Browning’s earlier predictions. He had predicted the eruption of Mount St. Helens, and was rumored to have predicted the San Francisco earthquake that interrupted the World Series. But when the day came and went, people chose to discount the prediction and the threat. “I guess only Jesus Christ himself could have gotten it right two times in a row.”

Good Intentions
Good Intentions a short story about a man Archie Snell in love with a waitress whom is a single mom with twins.
A dwindling community with a small city square, Delbert, Arkansas
The old courthouse sat empty now; condemned by the State when the legislature passed new earthquake standards for government buildings near the New Madrid Fault Line.
Then Iben Browning, a California Seismologist, predicted a devastating earthquake would hit the New Madrid Fault on December 3rd, 1990. April was upon them, and the city only had seven more months to prepare. Browning had predicted the exact day of the earthquake that hit San Francisco on October 17th of 1989—the earthquake that interrupted the World Series between the Giants and Athletics and injured thousands of people. He had also predicted the Mt. St. Helens eruption.
What I love about this short story is the reality of the New Madrid Fault Line and if you know anything about earthquakes, there are more earthquakes to hit the USA, whether properly predicted or not is the reality of one is huge. As a career security officer, I have done my research and this story was a great history to modern day lesson for all of us to learn about emergency planning of any events.
This is also one of several stories intertwined throughout this book, which I wanted to keep reading.
I would recommend this book to anyone!… (mais)