Dixon, a federal manager and freelance writer who grew up on the Gulf Coast, chronicles the first devastating hurricane to hit Louisiana: the hurricane of 1856 that destroyed Last Island. He describes the history of the area, how the hurricane devastated the popular island, and how it affected the lives of hundreds of Louisiana families, who were planters, slaves, and a variety of ethnic groups. He relates many of their stories, as well as the struggles of the steamer Star and other ships with the hurricane, the collapse of the Last Island Hotel, and how those trapped on the island survived and were rescued, including poetry they wrote in the aftermath. He also debunks myths about the storm. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)