One Two Three

Written by Laurie Frankel and published in 2021, One Two Three depicts the aftermath of an environmental disaster in the fictional town of Bourne. The widespread issues are caused by the actions of the large conglomerate Belsum Chemical, which knowingly poisoned the town’s water supply and then engaged in a years-long cover-up. Belsum created an ongoing health crisis in Bourne, and the novel documents the valorous efforts of resident Nora Mitchell and her three daughters, Mab, Monday, and Mirabel, to hold Belsum Chemical accountable for its actions and obtain compensatory damages.

Frankel is deeply interested in complex familial bonds and in the problematic ways that “ability” and “disability” are characterized within contemporary society, and these themes take center stage in the novel. She also engages with the broader impact of NIMBY policies and depicts a town full of individuals who, although they have been preyed upon by a greedy corporation and left with lasting health issues from the toxic chemical runoff in their water supply, are nonetheless able to work together to promote happiness and success in their town and fight back in the form of a lawsuit against Belsum Chemical.

This guide refers to the Holt Paperback edition published by Macmillan Publishing Group in 2021.