Summary: Chapters 18–20

In Chapter 18, the group confirms that the mayor’s office doesn’t intend to cooperate, so they plan a press conference. Marc Edwards contacts the EPA and Miguel Del Toral. He tells them that, unlike in DC, the blood data gives them proof of impact, meaning a way to show how the lead impacted people.

As Hanna-Attisha prepares for the meeting, she is bothered by the idea of aeb, an Arabic concept of shame from the way one’s conduct might affect their family or a larger group. She worries that, if she gets something wrong in her press conference, she will shame her family and colleagues.

Hanna-Attisha recalls the Christmas letters her family used to send out. They focused on the family’s accomplishments, but they also chronicled her father’s heartbreak over what was happening in Iraq, which got worse after September 11. Hanna-Attisha realizes that “My family’s saga of loss and dislocation had given me my fight, my passion.” She wants leaders held accountable for what they do. She works to make her presentation more interesting, to hold the journalists’ attention.

In Chapter 19, before the press conference, Hanna-Attisha’s office gets angry phone calls from the mayor’s office and the governor’s office. Melany sticks up for Hanna-Attisha. She then hears from the dean of the medical school, who states that the university can’t support her research. Hanna-Attisha characterizes this as a “risk-adverse turtle move.”

Hanna-Attisha brings baby bottles to the press conference. She fills one with Flint water. There are 40 or 50 reporters, photographers, and camera crew there. She sees both the supporters and naysayers. She plans on mixing a bottle of formula at the podium, but the formula is too hard to open, so she just holds up the bottle of water and announces that this is what Flint babies drink for the first year of life, lead-tainted water. She goes through her presentation, and then Dr. Reynolds speaks.

After she’s done, the media asks questions. They want to know who funded the research, how many children were impacted, and whether the county knew. Curt Guyette gets into arguments with people from the mayor’s office.

When it’s over, Hanna-Attisha feels great. But she realizes that, now that the truth was out, “it would awaken new enemies.”

In Chapter 20, “The blowback began immediately,” Hanna-Attisha says. First, Brad Wurfel says the water is within acceptable levels. Then, he says that Hanna-Attisha’s research was irresponsible and “unfortunate.” The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) says that the findings were based on a “seasonal anomaly,” basically stating that the problem was tests that had occurred in summer. But LaChance and Hanna-Attisha had controlled the study for seasons. MDHHS was just trying to confuse the issue.

Hanna-Attisha attends back-to-school night at her daughter’s school. However, on her way there, she hears that a spokesperson from the state has said that her data is “spliced and diced”—essentially that she tested to get the data she wanted. They were saying she was lying. This isn’t true. However, her research hasn’t been peer-reviewed because there wasn’t enough time. She has trouble concentrating during curriculum night, due to her racing heart and thoughts, so she leaves. Her husband tries to distract her by suggesting she watch Scandal.

The press coverage refers to Hanna-Attisha as a “local pediatrician,” as if she has no expertise whatsoever.

Analysis: Chapters 18–20

Hanna-Attisha mentions the television show Scandal several times in the book. Scandal is about Olivia Pope, a professional “fixer” who knows everyone’s secrets and hides problems but sometimes runs afoul of her own schemes. This serves as a metaphor for the situation Hanna-Attisha is in. Of course, Olivia Pope isn’t always on the side of right, but in many ways, Hanna-Attisha wants to be like her: strong, respected, and able to accomplish things. Like Pope, she faces obstacles and detractors, but she always eventually overcomes them. Now, Hanna-Attisha is being treated as if she is the bad, corrupt person, even making up her research. She must fix the situation like Olivia Pope would, like a boss.

Hanna-Attisha speaks of aeb, the feeling of representing (and possibly shaming) various groups of which she is a part: her family, her hospital, even her university. This speaks to the theme of community values However, even more important is Hanna-Attisha’s feeling of duty as an individual. She is the one placing herself at risk of ridicule because she strongly feels the need to protect the children of Flint and fulfill her duties as their doctor.

The governor’s office and Michigan Health Department try to allege that Hanna-Attisha “spliced and diced” her research, tested in a way that got her a certain result. But Hanna-Attisha points out she has no real reason to do that. Unlike the mayor or governor, she isn’t running for office and trying to make herself look good. Unlike the public employees, she isn’t trying to save money or do a job for less. She merely wants the children to have clean water. Yet she is paying the price. Still, Hanna-Attisha’s strong values and family standing behind her activism will assure that she comes out of it all right, no matter what. The question now is, can the same be said of Flint children?