Flood of Lies: The St. Rita's Nursing Home Tragedy

By James A. Cobb Jr.

Book Overview

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS GOLD MEDAL FOR BEST REGIONAL NONFICTION OF THE SOUTH

"When an elderly couple are charged with murder in the drowning deaths of thirty-five bed-ridden residents of St. Rita's Nursing Home, an emotional edge-of-your-seat thriller takes off like a shot The players: a wily and profane defense lawyer, a ferocious prosecutor, devastated families of the victims, and a ravenous media that brands the defendants 'Monsters of Hurricane Katrina.' My advice--block out enough time to read this wonderful book in one sitting."
--John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

In August 2005, the world looked on in horror as thirty-five residents of St. Rita's Nursing Home perished beneath the rising waters of Hurricane Katrina. Louisiana's attorney general immediately targeted the owners of St. Rita's, Sal and Mabel Mangano, for prosecution. A national media frenzy erupted, labeling the couple as selfish, cold-hearted killers, willing to let beloved parents and grandparents drown--but the reality was much different. Flood of Lies tells the real story of the Manganos: a couple who sacrificed everything to save the lives of their beloved residents.

Defending the Manganos was lawyer James A. Cobb, Jr, best known for prosecuting Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards for fraud in 1985. Set against the backdrop of a devastated New Orleans and Cobb's personal tale of loss, Flood of Lies is the revelatory story of Cobb's investigation into the truth of what happened at St. Rita's on August 29, 2005.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 145561789X
• ISBN13: 9781455617890
• Release Date: August 2013
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Phenomenal

His perspective as the owners' defense attorney was amazing. Such an easy read, yet profound and eye opening. I wish I could forget everything and read it over just to reexperience the thrill.

A powerful refutation of the CNN version of the Katrina-hit nursing home debacle

This book is riveting. I heard about it in a short article some time ago and am glad I read it. The horror of the nursing home where "staff all fled" turns out to be mostly very, very different than what was reported on tv news. Besides the staff NOT abandoning their elderly charges, the water did NOT creep up drowning helpless patients in their beds. A giant tidal wave rushed in all at once when the shoddily built levies failed. This book by the defense lawyer for the home's owners tells a bold story of bravery and survival during one of the worst disasters in US history.