Damnation Spring

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For generations, Rich Gundersen's family has made a living from the redwood forest along California's coast. Now, Rich and his wife, Colleen, are raising their young son near Damnation Grove, where Rich's employer, Sanderson Timber Co., plans to log. In 1977, with most forests cleared or protected, Damnation and the adjacent 24-7 Ridge represent a logger's dream. Rich, who has already outlived his father, killed on the job, wants a better future for his son, Chub. When the chance to buy 24-7 Ridge arises, he seizes it, secretly using their savings, unaware that Colleen has faced multiple miscarriages. As a midwife, she has witnessed the impact of the herbicides used by the logging company, once deemed harmless. Doubts about the cause of their losses grow, prompting her to seek answers. Meanwhile, mudslides and vanishing salmon highlight the environmental degradation surrounding them. Colleen's quest for truth threatens not only Rich's plans for the 24-7 but their marriage as well, dividing a community dependent on timber. Through the perspectives of Rich, Colleen, and Chub, this poignant narrative captures the struggles of a community facing the loss of its way of life amid environmental challenges.