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The Third Wave: A Volunteer Story (2011)

by Alison Thompson(Favorite Author)

3.6 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0385529163 (ISBN13: 9780385529167)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Spiegel & Grau

review 1: So much to say about this one! Told in three parts centered around three catastrophes, the Australian-born author starts the book right in the middle of the 9/11 tragedy. Literally, the book opens with her describing her rollerblading from her apartment straight to Ground Zero, drawn to help in any way she can. She leaves her rollerblades by a wall just off the West Side Highway, demands a pet store clerk surrender his shoes to her, and, armed with nothing but a first aid kit, a small bottle of Chanel No. 5 (to dab under her nose to mask the scent of death, something that comes up often), and an old 8mm camera, is among the first civilian volunteers at Ground Zero. She spends four straight days in makeshift first aid stations, first directly on the site, then at a demolish... moreed bar a couple of blocks away, tending to the raw physical and emotional wounds of emergency personnel. She then returns a few days later with the Red Cross and then the Salvation Army, spending the full 9 months between the attack and the official closing ceremony, continuing her work.That was all I thought the book would be about, so I was surprised when I was only three chapters in and she was wrapping up her Ground Zero experiences. The second "act" of the book takes the author to Sri Lanka in the wake of the devastating tsunami of 2004. With little in the way of a plan, some basic medical supplies, and her Chanel No. 5, she, along with her new boyfriend, set off looking to do something. They're not sure what, but figure they'll know when they find it. "It" comes in the form of a small destroyed village, Peraliya. They spend about a year and a half there, with an ever-growing and shrinking pool of volunteers and money. Their experiences are at once heartening, inspiring, disturbing, and heartbreaking as they find themselves looking after a refugee population of over 3000. They go from being the village heroes to being accused of stealing aid money to spend on themselves (which couldn't be further from the truth). While there, they shoot hours and hours of video footage, which they eventually turn into a documentary with the same name as the book. The documentary catches the eye of Sean Penn, who takes it to Cannes and (I swear I'm trying to wrap this up) ...The third act brings Alison to Haiti in the wake of the devastating 2010 earthquake as part of Sean Penn's team. There, though the team is armed with more supplies (huge donations! Donna Karan's private jet!) they find themselves in much the same position as in Peraliya. Which is to say, realizing that all the money and all the supplies in the world do nothing without people to distribute them and make sure they get where they need to be. All in all a fascinating, uplifting reminder about the importance of volunteerism.
review 2: This is a moving and uplifting story of one woman making a difference in some of the most vulnerable parts of the world. There were some passages where I felt that the prose could have used a little more polish, but despite this the story is very arresting and carries you along: you can't help but be fascinated by Thompson's incredible experiences and commitment to her cause. It's inspiring and confronting; it encourages you to think how you would behave in similar situations yourself. It's a book for anyone thinking of volunteering or anyone interested in how volunteers can help others with practical, on-the-ground action. Recommend. less

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