ABSTRACT
An African-American college student begins helping a classmate at the University of Washington. Their relationship evolves until a quick hallway kiss results in her father forcing her to leave and enroll at a Mormon dominated school. Her father had arranged for several students to keep an eye on her since he did not want her to attend a university where she might become involved with a student who did not practice their religion. Eventually she decides to leave school, and both her family and church. She moves to Kentucky with her African-American friend whom she has married. He has a job with the state emergency management agency to promote earthquake mitigation. The New Madrid earthquakes (1822–1812) caused the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to flow upstream briefly and then upon reversing direction, caused destructive tidal waves that triggered extensive flooding. His meetings with local groups illustrate a community change agent approach to emergency management. The bi-racial marriage prompts discussions of racial and religious prejudice in many manifestations. Earthquakes in San Francisco (1906 and 1989), Haiti (2010), Indonesia (2016 and 2018), and elsewhere, illustrate the earthquake threat and varied threat perceptions.
