The End of Country

"A rare, honest, beautiful, and, yes, sometimes heartbreaking examination of the echoes of water-powered natural gas drilling--or fracking--in the human community . . . vivid, personal and emotional."--Minneapolis Star Tribune



Susquehanna County, in the remote northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, is a community of stoic, low-income dairy farmers and homesteaders seeking haven from suburban sprawl--and the site of the Marcellus Shale, a natural gas deposit worth more than one trillion dollars. In The End of Country, journalist and area native Seamus McGraw opens a window on the battle for control of this land, revealing a conflict that pits petrodollar billionaires and the forces of corporate America against a band of locals determined to extract their fair share of the windfall--but not at the cost of their values or their way of life. Rich with a sense of place and populated by unforgettable personalities, McGraw tells a tale of greed, hubris, and envy, but also of hope, family, and the land that binds them all together. "To tell a great story, you need a great story. Seamus McGraw . . . has lived a great story. . . . He] is just one of its many characters--very real characters--caught up in a very human story in which they must make tough, life-altering decisions for themselves, their community, and ultimately their country."--Allentown Morning Call



"Compelling . . . The End of Country is like a phone call from a close friend or relative living smack-dab in the middle of the Pennsylvania gas rush. . . . Anyone with even a passing interest in the fracking debate should] read it."--Harrisburg Patriot-News



"This cautionary tale should be required reading for all those tempted by the calling cards of easy money and precarious peace of mind."--Tom Brokaw



"A page-turner . . . McGraw brings us to the front lines of the U.S. energy revolution to deliver an honest and humbling account that could hardly possess greater relevance."--The Humanist