Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage

I first heard the author on the Diane Rehm show (you can still listen to it in the archives). Susette Kelo's unwavering courage and determination in spite of unbelievable (and very sleazy) opposition are remarkable. You will cheer for her neighbors and the team at the Institute for Justice. You will hiss at the local politicians (excluding the mayor) and Susette's nemesis, a female college president with huge ambition. You will finally understand that we need to keep an eye on who is appointed to and what occurs at the Supreme Court. It matters. And if Susette's story (and this book, which, incidentally, is extremely well written) inspires any of us to work for justice, then widespread change will be her real victory. We owe that much to her. Read it, and make sure all your friends and family read it, too.

When Susette Kelo's five boys grew up and moved out of the rural house she shared with her husband it became apparent that their marriage was no longer working. Susette made the decision to leave him and move out on her own. Having also made the decision to use no money from their joint account all Susette was able to afford was a small fixer upper on the waterfront in New London, Connecticut. Around the same time Susette purchased her new home and began to fix it up. The New London Development Corporation was formulating a plan to re-develop the waterfront which included the Ft. Trumbull area where Susette's house was located by selling the land to the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. When Susette and more than a few of her neighbors refused to sell, the city and the NLDC tried to take their homes using eminent domain, the law which allows the state to seize a citizen's private property for public use. What resulted was court case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court and a fight that lasted over 9 years. Blurb: "In Little Pink House, award-winning investigative journalist Jeff Benedict takes us behind the scenes of this case -- indeed, Susette Kelo speaks for the first time about all the details of this inspirational true story as one woman led the charge to take on corporate America to save her home." The amazing spirit of Susette Kelo and the other families that refused to leave is so moving. They refused to back down when it seemed impossible that they would ever win. I admire they way Susette showed no sign of weakness in front of the big corporation and the rest of her opposition. The news stories about the case became national news and the Supreme Court ruling became one of the most unpopular rulings of all time. Since this case states either have or are considering amendments to the eminent domain law which prohibit the state turning over land seized under the guise of public use over to private corporations. My review is based on the abridged audio version which was read by Maggi-Meg Reed. I think that listening to this as opposed to reading gave me a better mental picture of Susette as fighter and a strong woman to admire. I highly recommend this book to readers of all genres as it is an inspirational story.

Only a few times in my life have I truly read a book cover to cover in one sitting. At the top of the list are two compelling tales - No Bone Unturned and now, Little Pink House - both by Jeff Benedict. I could not put it down although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I did close my eyes for a couple of hours at 3am this morning. Without embellishment or taking sides Jeff immediately captured the essence of the human condition and the compelling nature of the issue. Against a backdrop of constitutional law and basic human dignity the story of Susette Kelo and her neighbours opens a dialogue on everything from states rights to faith and the human condition. Even I find myself conflicted at the end. Eminent domain is an important tool provided to us by the framers of the constitution and in the case of New London it probably would have been a life-line for solvency if the human condition did not include greed and vengeance. Where is the balance? To the question of law I point to the simplicity and depth of the Federalist Papers. How could such a clear document be used so badly by so many. In this story Benedict holds up a mirror up to society. We must take ourselves beyond the legal issue and ask ourselves how could we treat our neighbours so disspationately. While there are clearly villains in this story they are not inherently evil, so where and why did they choose the path of destruction. Benedict's neutrality allows the many points of view to be appreciated (not necessarily agreed with) and discussed. Funny though, and fitting, that at the end of the day, the man who started all of this has become an embarrassing footnote in Connecticut's history. Once again Jeff has penned a great read about an important issue. Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage

This is a fabulous book that takes you on the journey of the Ft. Trumbull neighborhood in New London, CT. You wll be outraged when you read what this neighborhood went through when put up against Eminent Domain. Its amazing to read how Susette Kelo stood up to her City, her State and the US Supreme Court, not for anything other than to hold onto the American Dream of owning and keeping her home. Its a page-turner with a conscience. Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage