Slow Burn

“The gallery of stark Works Progress Administration–style photographs by Renée Jacobs portrays with poignancy a Welsh, Irish, and Slavic Roman Catholic community as it once was, poised in stubborn bewilderment.” —Ben A. Franklin, New York Times Book Review

“These are rapidly made ‘decisive moment’ 35mm photos in the Cartier-Bresson tradition of photojournalism—a very worthy effort that has led to a book, Slow Burn. . . . I wish the future of Centralia were as assured as the future of many of these revealing, heart-rending, eloquent and persuasive images.” —Victoria Donohoe, Philadelphia Inquirer

“Jacobs tells the story of the fire and recounts, in poignant interviews and photographs, the residents’ tough choice between staying and resettling. . . . From Todd Domboski’s account of falling into a dangerous hole in his grandmother’s backyard to Helen Womer’s decision to stay in Centralia no matter what happens, this book is filled with stories of courage in the face of an invisible enemy.” —Publishers Weekly

“A somber and darkly fascinating portrait of the community as it fights to save itself.” —Small Town

“Where once there was familiarity with open doors and trusting hearts, in a community that could be your home anywhere in America, an invisible cancer grew. It’s the unseen, slow-moving nature of this underground burning that took Centralia apart.

“The human spirit doesn’t want to believe, see, or hear what can destroy our sanctified special places in the world. Renée Jacobs faithfully and compassionately documents in pictures and words the confusion, uncertainty, and fighting spirit of Centralia’s residents—and the painful destruction and relocation of the residents of this little Pennsylvania town. Slow Burn is a compelling story about—and for—all of us.” —Shelby Lee Adams