?Odors: two notes of bay and lagoon. Around the inlet in the half-circle the bulkhead doesn't reach cattails grow to the ruff of washed up seaweed at the edge of the water, several feet of it knit with dead and dying fish and shellfish, moss bunkers, blueclaws, horseshoe crabs in the old days, maybe flipped over and straining their ladders of little claws. The lagoon's black stagnant mosquito trenches and greasy gunmetal soil. Marsh Gas, brine, dead things, too much breeding.?

Above is an excerpt of Susanne Antonetta?s memoir, titled Body Toxic, which has been recognized by the American Book Award. Set in the New Jersey Highlands, two immigrant families with drastically different backgrounds aim to find the American Dream by means of building a summer escape. However, conflict arises when a nearby nuclear power plant?s illegally dumped toxic waste mars the beauty of the surrounding nature with an image parallel to the people themselves.

Such works, especially with the innate marvels of personal and true experiences, exhibits an urge to personally take action for the better. With a revolving theme of the failures of both understanding and responsibility, Body Toxic emphasises the extent of severity in which a human?s role in his environment can turn out for the better or worse. Writing, embossed with imagery, relatable motifs, among other literary features, can definitely attract a reader?s attention for awareness purposes.

Having read the book a while back, it still has a lasting impression on me, as it has on many other readers. The focus on real life facts and events, strikes a chord as many misconceptions about the way environmental issues can harm sustainability and development, but still many people are ignorant of this. It even reaches out to bring emotions in readers, whether it be anger, fear, or pity. And from those abstract emotions, there lies that incentive to make concrete change. That is the power of literature.