Holy Ground by Catherine Coleman Flowers | Book Review

Welcome to my book review for Holy Ground by Catherine Coleman Flowers. Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

“In the darkest of times, hope is still possible. Indeed, it is essential.” -Catherine Coleman Flowers, Holy Ground

Holy Ground Official Synopsis:

Catherine Coleman Flowers has dedicated her life to fighting for the most vulnerable communities—rural, poor, of color—who have been deprived of the basic civil right to a clean, safe, and sustainable environment. Both deeply personal and urgently political, the essays in Holy Ground draw on history to illuminate and contextualize the most pressing issues of this moment: from climate change to human rights, from rural poverty to reproductive justice, from the notorious history of Lowndes County, Alabama, to the broader crisis of racialized disinvestment in the South. Flowers maps the distance and direction toward justice, examining her own diverse ancestry as evidence of our interconnectedness. She reflects on trailblazers who have fought for social and environmental justice. She writes about her mother, a civil rights activist who lost her life to gun violence, and her own deeply personal experience with reproductive justice. And in a remarkably candid and moving piece, she writes about a traumatic attack that occurred at a moment of collective triumph, in which she weighs her fight for the common good against her own well-being. Flowers’s faith shines throughout the collection, guiding her work and inspiring her vision of our responsibility to one another and to our shared home.

Drawn from a lifetime of organizing, activism, and change-making, Holy Ground equips us with clarity, lights a way forward, and rouses us to action—for ourselves and for each other, for our communities, and, ultimately, for our planet.

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Holy Ground Review:

Because she is such a prominent figure in environmental justice advocacy, Catherine Coleman Flowers has been one of my to-read authors for quite some time. And let me tell you this: she did not disappoint! Holy Ground is a compelling and deeply personal exploration of how race and socio-economic status, among other factors, shape one’s access to a clean, healthy, and safe life. In particular, this book features in-depth discussions of how systemic neglect disproportionately affects marginalized communities, intertwined with success stories that offer glimmers of hope throughout.

The author’s thorough depiction of intersectionality is the book’s greatest strength. Many of the essays in this book either feature or tie back to Flowers’ hometown in Lowndes County, Alabama, and she paints a detailed picture of the diverse community of inhabitants. Different races, socio-economic statuses, religious beliefs, genders, and political views make for a vibrant community — and difficulties regarding inequality and progress. As someone with an Environmental Sciences degree, I am familiar with discussions of these topics. However, Holy Ground provides the most comprehensive and human-centered exploration I have encountered. For perhaps the first time, these concepts feel fully fleshed out, tangible, and urgently pressing.

“The significance here is that a progressive senator and an extreme right-wing senator worked together in common cause for rural sanitation.” -Catherine Coleman Flowers, Holy Ground

Perhaps one of the most surprising—and at times, uncomfortable—aspects of the book is Flowers’ ability to find common ground across political ideologies. She praises politicians on both the left and right for their efforts in tackling sanitation inequality, a rare issue that seems to transcend party lines. While this bipartisan approach can feel unfamiliar and challenging, it underscores an important message: effective activism often requires working with people whose beliefs may not align entirely with our own. Flowers does not compromise her progressive stance but instead demonstrates how collaboration can lead to real, tangible change. Her approach is a testament to the idea that solutions to pressing social issues should not be hindered by political divisions.

Speaking of uncomfortable aspects of this book, Flowers includes many religious references and weaves her Christian viewpoint throughout several of her analyses. While this perspective does not appeal to me on a personal or spiritual level, I still believe that it adds depth to her arguments. Combining a sense of morality into our discussions of activism invokes a deeply human imperative to care for one another, and this viewpoint is one that I see echoes throughout a lot of environmental activism. Whether this morality comes from a religious base or not, it is always refreshing to see prominent activists advocating for community support. Flowers’ explicitly Christian perspective will appeal to a large audience, even if it does not touch me personally.

If I have any critiques of Holy Ground, it is in the pacing. While compelling from the start, I found myself a good 30-40% into the book before any themes began to tie together into a more cohesive picture. Before that point, the essays felt almost entirely separate from one another. While this approach works in many cases, I knew that the essays in this book were meant to be more cohesive. And they were; it just took a long time for the strings to connect.

Holy Ground Recommendation & Rating:

As an environmentalist myself, I found this book to be insightful and informative in a way that is both refreshing and deeply meaningful. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about environmental justice, public health, or activism, specifically in the American South. I personally will be seeking out more of Catherine Coleman Flowers’ works and writings in the future.

“The will to change is a renewable resource.” -Catherine Coleman Flowers, Holy Ground

My Rating: ★★★★☆ 4 stars

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