Book Review: Pulp Into Paper

Reviewed by Elizabeth Reiser

Racism, corporate greed, and government corruption—Pulp Into Paper is smart & thought-provoking eco-fiction.

Pulp into Paper by Lenore Weiss focuses on Hentsbury, Arkansas, the kind of small town where no one is a stranger. This is especially true for Rae-Ann, owner of the local convenience store, Half & Half, and the town’s unofficial mayor. 

Rae-Ann likes to stay neutral in all matters relating to the town, but, as the people she cares most about start to be impacted by the questionable business practices of local employer Rand-Atlantic, even she realizes this might no longer be possible. 

Nell has worked for Rae-Ann for years, but she has been less dependable lately, as she has been more focused on exposing the pollution being caused by Rand-Atlantic. Nell has good reason to be concerned; her asthmatic grandson Rincon’s health has been struggling and things are barreling toward a tragic outcome.  

Meanwhile, Vernon, Rae-Ann’s love interest, has worked hard to make himself a respectable member of Hentsbury after his wilder days as a musician and philandering drug addict. Now sober, Vernon is a steadfast employee of Rand-Atlantic and views himself as someone simply doing his job. This all changes when Nell and Vernon’s lives become forever entwined when Vernon finds Rincon amid a horrible asthma attack. Vernon finds it much harder to ignore Rand-Atlantic’s culpability. 

To expose the corruption of Rand-Atlantic and the local government, they have to depend on one another. Will they be able to rally for change to stop their town from being polluted and prevent further damage?

Those who care about the environment will be glad to find this book. Despite being set in the 1990s, the material is timely, important, and knowledgable. For a book with its heart set in caring for the earth, it’s especially fulfilling that Weiss clearly does so with care, seriousness, and an engaging storyline.

Vernon is a challenging character, as he somehow manages to be both stubborn and indifferent (with very interesting definitions of sobriety), but the female characters are admirable in their determination to do what is right, even if that means putting themselves in danger. Nell, an older Black woman, finds herself in the most unsafe situations as violent racism is prevalent in the book. 

While the characters all have complex storylines and backgrounds, they are not always fully developed. I was intrigued to to dive deeper into Rae-Ann’s development, especially concerning her relationship with her daughter and a significant secret, but we pull up a bit short in that regard. 

Overall, Pulp into Paper will spark a good conversation and satisfy audiences interested in social and environmental issues. 

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