Hard to put this book down.

An online friend first suggested I read this book. He knew that I live in Buffalo, NY...only 25 miles from the famed Love Canal area in Niagara Falls, NY. That was one of the first places in the country where illnesses, such as cancers, were found clustered in areas that had previously been chemical dumpsites. Entire neighborhoods were abandoned and the government relocated the families.
A Civil Action is based on another similar true event. It centers on a small town where children are getting leukemia. Residents had long complained of foul smelling and tasting tapwater and suspected that it had something to do with the illnesses.
The story's main character is a lawyer who goes after the two large corporations who have dumped chemicals into the water in the area. The book tells in fascinating detail how the water seeps into the soil and infects even the home gardens.
The ending is very good...worth the wait. It was an engrossing book. I haven't been able to see the movie yet, but I doubt that it could encompass the scope of this entire case.