People of the Dune - by Jim Olson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In a tense showdown between corporate interests and community values, the fate of the Voyager Dune hangs in the balance. Mython Corporation's ambitious plans to extract the dune and replace it with a sprawling residential complex along one of North America's Great Lakes spark a grassroots movement of resistance. Led by local tribes, residents, and conservation groups, protesters gather at the base of the dune, forming an encampment to block the mining operation. Legal battles ensue, with Mython filing lawsuits to remove the encampment. Meanwhile, the tribes and concerned citizens rally under the banners of the Mound People Coalition and People of the Dune, seeking legal avenues to halt the destruction of this cherished landscape.

Amidst the legal wrangling, the weight of Judge Odom "Odie" Holmes's decision looms large. Despite his adherence to the principles of law, he grapples with the profound moral implications of his ruling. As the trial unfolds in his courtroom, the clash between property rights and the cultural and natural significance of the dune unfolds before him. When he ultimately upholds the law, permitting the removal of the dune to proceed, he finds himself haunted by doubt and introspection. Confronted by a haunting visitation on the eve of the mining operation, Judge Holmes is compelled to confront not only the fate of Voyager Dune but also the broader implications for humanity and the earth's commons. In a pivotal moment of reckoning, he must navigate the intersection of legal duty and ethical responsibility, grappling with the profound consequences of his decision for both the people involved and the fragile balance of the earth itself.

Review Quotes

Enter this book with the anticipation of wonder. It's all here: water, myth, environmental destruction met with fierce compassion and the wondrous journey of a judge's mind as he redefines Justice. This book is a treasure for those who embrace the wild earth, and those of pure heart. -Michael Delp, co-editor emeritus, Made in Michigan Book Series, Wayne State University Press

Jim Olson's allegory for his home region is a masterful display of great storytelling that also reflects the author's expertise and refreshing respect for the law and jurisprudence. Few writers so capably explore principles of fairness, conservation, myth, and character. People of the Dune is all that and more, cast in a rollicking great yarn. This book is a fun read, for sure. -Keith Schneider, New York Times correspondent

There is the bird and the movement of the bird. There is the dune and the idea of the dune. Through a totally surprising alchemy of the artist's and the lawyer's point of view, Jim Olson illuminates both in what is an amazing and thoroughly entertaining kind of colloquy of a novel, a conversational yet probing Socratic debate about what has value and meaning in life. Or you can think of it this way: this story is the best ever episode of "Law and Order" mixed with the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Or, reading this book is like tapping on the back of the closet and finding it opens to other worlds, as in CS Lewis. Plus, one of the main characters in this novel is Judge Odom Holmes, an absolute treasure of a person as he struggles as we struggle to get a good night's sleep while discerning meaning and value in this world of ours. Pay attention to him. -Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times best selling author

If you are seeking a fast-paced and heroic tale of corporate greed versus the common good, this page turner will keep you reading and hoping. The battle over the fate of the Voyager Dune, is not only entertaining, but it celebrates the "pathway of being" that has been there since the beginning.

-Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch and author of Foodopoly and Frackopoly