The Fishermen and the Dragon by Kirk Wallace Johnson!

The Gulf Coast Reads Committee is excited to announce the 2023 Gulf Coast Reads selection is The Fishermen & the Dragon: Fear, Greed, and a Fight for Justice on the Gulf Coast by Kirk Wallace Johnson. 

The Fishermen and the Dragon is a gripping, twisting true crime investigation of a small Texas Gulf Coast town set on fire by hatred, xenophobia, and ecological disaster—a story that weaves together corporate malfeasance, a battle over shrinking natural resources, a turning point in the modern white supremacist movement, and one woman’s relentless battle for environmental justice.

As with all Gulf Coast Reads selections since, 2011, the final selection was chosen by popular vote. Wallace's nonfiction novel eked out the win over the other two very worthy finalists: Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco and Last Dance at the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird.

Join HCPL, partner libraries and organizations, and thousands of Gulf Coast readers just like you for special programs including a virtual author talk with Kirk Wallace Johnson, and, of course, lots of lively discussion of the book!