Chesapeake Requiem

A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island

By: Earl Swift

Narrated by: Tom Parks

A brilliant, soulful, and timely portrait of a two-hundred-year-old crabbing community in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay as it faces extinction.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Washington Post, NPR, Outside, Smithsonian, Popular Science, Bloomberg, Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Review of Books, Science Friday, and Kirkus

""BEAUTIFUL, HAUNTING AND TRUE."" — Hampton Sides • “GORGEOUS. A TRULY REMARKABLE BOOK.” — Beth Macy • ""GRIPPING. FANTASTIC."" — Outside • ""CAPTIVATING."" — Washington Post • ""POWERFUL."" — Bill McKibben • ""VIVID. HARROWING AND MOVING."" — Science • ""A MASTERFUL NARRATIVE."" — Christian Science Monitor •""THE BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR."" —Stephen L. Carter/Bloomberg

A Washington Post bestseller • An Indie Next List selection •An NPR All Things Considered and Axios ""Book Club"" pick

Tangier Island, Virginia, is a community unique on the American landscape. Mapped by John Smith in 1608, settled during the American Revolution, the tiny sliver of mud is home to 470 hardy people who live an isolated and challenging existence, with one foot in the 21st century and another in times long passed. They are separated from their countrymen by the nation’s largest estuary, and a twelve-mile boat trip across often tempestuous water—the same water that for generations has made Tangier’s fleet of small fishing boats a chief source for the rightly prized Chesapeake Bay blue crab, and has lent the island its claim to fame as the softshell crab capital of the world.

Yet for all of its long history, and despite its tenacity, Tangier is disappearing. The very water that has long sustained it is erasing the island day by day, wave by wave. It has lost two-thirds of its land since 1850, and still its shoreline retreats by fifteen feet a year—meaning this storied place will likely succumb first among U.S. towns to the effects of climate change. Experts reckon that, barring heroic intervention by the federal government, islanders could be forced to abandon their home within twenty-five years. Meanwhile, the graves of their forebears are being sprung open by encroaching tides, and the conservative and deeply religious Tangiermen ponder the end times.

Chesapeake Requiem is an intimate look at the island’s past, present and tenuous future, by an acclaimed journalist who spent much of the past two years living among Tangier’s people, crabbing and oystering with its watermen, and observing its long traditions and odd ways. What emerges is the poignant tale of a world that has, quite nearly, gone by—and a leading-edge report on the coming fate of countless coastal communities.

Great Book - Flawed Narration.

With the last name of Parks, one might think the narrator was a local. Clearly, he is not, with repeated mispronunciation of Onancock, Accomack and gunwale.

A Realistic Approach

Swift's book provides a pragmatic overview of the environmental crisis facing Tangier and insight into the lived experience of its residents.

Fascinating

This is such an enjoyable listen from start to finish. Earl Swift brings Tangier to life without the use of unnecessary drama or hyperbole. He inserts just the right amount of personal insight to connect with the reader without passing judgment on his subject- a mistake many non-fiction writers make while claiming objectivity.

Tom Parks is officially one of my favorite narrators- his performance was nuanced, personal and he managed to bring people to life without resorting to crass (and unnecessary) attempts at copying the local accent.

I highly recommend for everyone- especially Chesapeake Bay locals on both the western & eastern shores!

Engrossing

Well written, well read. I love a good non-fiction book that reads like a novel. The story encompasses a year the author spent on the island including a few other previous encounters he had with the area and people. He tells about people, politics & religion without judgement. As soon as I finished the story I started it over.

very good book..too bad politics had to be drug in

very good book, the author does an amazing job of capturing his experience on tangier island. reminds me of beautiful swimmers. my only complaint is not with the story or its subject, but with the author. he often comes off pretentious, like hes smarter and therefore better than the people who let him into their community. several times he would explain a tangiermans point of view or beleive, then would explain how this was incorrect. kind of seems one sided, document a person's beliefs, then later counter their belief with no offer of rebuttal. it seems the author knows what's best for tangier island, despite he only stayed there for 14 months. he hints at his liberal bias early in the book, then fully reveals it at the end. it must have drove him nuts to be on an island full of conservatives, full of people with morals and virtue. full of people that stand for something and dont always view change as a good thing. full of people that love their country and love God. he just had to get his jabs in on trump. the fact that he claims to love tangier island, and wishes that it doesnt erode away, he published a book which will surely promulgate the notion that tangier cannot be saved because it is rising water levels, not erosion. to me he stabbed the people of tangier in the back. he should be smart enough to know that these people need rip-rap, it's their only hope. he should know that sea level rises has not been scientifically proven.
despite the authors liberal smugness...it is a very good book.