media reVieWs

The Mourning Wave: A Novel of the Great Storm

By Gregory Funderburk Köehlerbooks, 2020 reviewed by niKKi morris

Imagine living through a storm so powerful and so devastating that 120 years later it is still considered to be the deadliest natural disaster in US History, claiming the lives of between 6,000 and 12,000 people. This catastrophic event is the subject of Gregory Funderburk’s debut novel, The Mourning Wave: A Novel of the Great Storm. Funderburk is a Houston lawyer and a pastoral care minister. His experiences on both accounts have no doubt contributed to his ability to write a compelling story that is based in fact and yet conveys the genuine emotions felt during and after experiencing a natural disaster.

The Mourning Wave is historical fiction that provides a detailed glimpse into what life was like in Galveston during and after the Great Storm of 1900. The novel centers around Will Murney, Frank Madera, and Albert Campbell—the only three survivors of over 90 orphans living at St. Mary’s orphanage at the time. Will, Albert, Frank and many of the characters they encounter throughout the story are based on real people and real accounts of the storm that demolished businesses, destroyed homes, and claimed thousands of human lives.

The story begins just before the storm reaches the island and immediately invokes a sense of foreboding before taking you through the emotional rollercoaster that is a natural disaster. In the middle of the night, the boys cling to life in an old boat called the John S. Ames while wind and water threaten to pull them out to sea. Once the dawn breaks and the destruction is complete, the boys make their way across the island seeking refuge and medical attention for injuries sustained during the storm and with the mission of telling the sisters at St. Mary’s infirmary what happened at the orphanage. Along the way, they encounter several characters experiencing the shock and grief that follows tragedy, as they grapple with the uncertainty of loved ones’ whereabouts and the complete loss of their homes or livelihoods. Funderburk’s descriptions of the destruction are thorough, but at one point, Will and his friends come across an unsurmountable ridge created by demolished buildings, furniture, and other remains, and I felt compelled to stop reading so that I could search for pictures of the destruction to see it for myself. If you, like me, have little knowledge of the history of this storm, I encourage you to search for pictures of the Great Storm of 1900, too! The devastation is incredible with houses turned on their sides and entire streets reduced to piles of lumber and other debris.

But do not be discouraged. The Mourning Wave is not only a compelling tale of the devastation caused by the Great Storm, but it is also a story of hope and resiliency as the city begins to heal and find a way to move forward. Neighbors help neighbors with needed supplies, such as clothing and food. Other infrastructure is also instituted as large-scale cleanup efforts commence. There is even hope as people are reunited with loved ones thought to be lost.

Although historical fiction is not my typical go-to genre, I was captivated by The Mourning Wave and compelled to find out the fate of Funderburk’s characters. This is the type of story that history buffs familiar with the Great Storm and fiction-lovers can both enjoy. Funderburk’s writing is thoughtful and poetic, and I look forward to his next novel. Nikki Morris is a litigation attorney at Baker & Hostetler, LLP. She is a member of The Houston Lawyer editorial board and an avid reader.

A Litigator’s Guide to Building Your Best Argument

By cecil c. Kuhne iii aBa Book Publishing, 2019 reviewed by BrooKsie BonVillain BouTeT

If you find the same words and phrases appearing on your computer screen over and over again, A Litigator’s Guide to Building Your Best Argument is a good read to refresh your writing.

The overarching theme is how to craft a convincing argument for a busy judge. The book covers wide-ranging topics—from overall structure and rigorous editing, to how to summarize the facts of a case and analyze case law—for trial and appellate attorneys across all practice areas. It even includes a little lagniappe on oral arguments.

The structure of the book is user friendly. Each chapter provides a brief lesson on an essential of effective, persuasive writing and concludes with samples of the techniques described. This makes for a quick read for a practitioner who finds it necessary to forego the lengthier examples and allows for easy reference back to key points. However, if the examples included in each section are not enough for you, there are more at the end of the book and model briefs in the appendix.

A Litigator’s Guide will bring attorneys of all skill levels back to the basics of building their best arguments.

Brooksie Bonvillain Boutet is a trial attorney at Shipley Snell Montgomery, LLP. She is a member of The Houston Lawyer editorial board and serves as the editor of Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer Podcast.

Join the hba 100 club!

The Houston Bar association 100 Club is a special category of membership that indicates a commitment to the advancement of the legal profession and the betterment of the community. The following law firms, government agencies, law schools and corporate legal departments with five or more attorneys have become members of the 100 Club by enrolling 100 percent of their attorneys as members of the HBa.

Firms of 5-24 attorneys Abraham, Watkins, Nichols,

Agosto, Aziz & Stogner Adair Myers Graves Stevenson PLLC Ajamie LLP Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC Baker Williams Matthiesen LLP The Bale Law Firm, PLLC Berg & Androphy Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Buck Keenan LLP Bush & Ramirez, PLLC Carter Morris, LLP Cozen O’Connor Crady, Jewett, McCulley & Houren, LLP De Lange Hudspeth McConnell & Tibbets LLP Dentons US LLP Devlin Naylor & Turbyfill PLLC Dobrowski, Larkin & Stafford, L.L.P. Doyle Restrepo Harvin & Robbins LLP Ewing & Jones, PLLC Fisher & Phillips LLP Fizer Beck Webster Bentley & Scroggins Fogler, Brar, O’Neil & Gray LLP Frank, Elmore, Lievens, Slaughter & Turet, L.L.P. Funderburk Funderburk Courtois, LLP Galligan & Manning Germer PLLC Givens & Johnston PLLC Gordon Rees Scully & Mansukhani Henke, Williams & Boll, LLP Hirsch & Westheimer, P.C. Holm | Bambace LLP Horne Rota Moos LLP Hughes, Watters & Askanase, L.L.P. Husch Blackwell LLP Irelan McDaniel, PLLC Jackson Lewis P.C. Jenkins & Kamin PC Johnson DeLuca Kurisky & Gould, P.C. Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne PLLC Kean | Miller LLP Kelly, Sutter & Kendrick, P.C. Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP KoonsFuller, PC Law Feehan Adams LLP Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP Lorance Thompson, P.C. MacIntyre McCulloch & Stanfield, L.L.P. McGinnis Lochridge McGuireWoods LLP McKool Smith MehaffyWeber PC Morris Lendais Hollrah & Snowden Murrah & Killough, PLLC Nathan Sommers Jacobs PC Paranjpe Mahadass Ruemke LLP Peckar & Abramson, P.C. Phelps Dunbar LLP Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Pipkin Ferguson PLLC Ramey, Chandler, Quinn & Zito, P.C. Rapp & Krock, PC Reynolds Frizzell LLP Roach & Newton, L.L.P. Ross Banks May Cron & Cavin PC Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams, L.L.P. Rusty Hardin & Associates, P.C. Rymer, Echols, Slay & Nelson-

Archer, P.C. Schiffer Hicks Johnson PLLC Schirrmeister Diaz-Arrastia Brem LLP Schwartz, Page & Harding, L.L.P. Scott, Clawater & Houston, L.L.P. Shannon Martin Finkelstein Alvarado & Dunne, P.C. Shearman & Sterling LLP Shellist | Lazarz | Slobin LLP Shipley Snell Montgomery LLP Smith Murdaugh Little & Bonham LLP Spencer Fane LLP Sponsel Miller Greenberg PLLC Sprott Newsom Quattlebaum & Messenger Strong Pipkin Bissell & Ledyard LLP Stuart PC Taunton Snyder & Parish Taylor Book Allen & Morris Law Firm Thompson & Horton LLP Tindall England PC Tracey & Fox Law Firm Ware, Jackson, Lee, O’Neill,

Smith & Barrow, LLP West Mermis, PLLC Weycer, Kaplan, Pulaski & Zuber, PC Williams Hart Boundas Easterby LLP Wilson Cribbs & Goren PC Wright Abshire, Attorneys, PC Wright Close & Barger, LLP Ytterberg Deery Knull LLP Zukowski, Bresenhan &

Piazza L.L.P.

Firms of 25-49 attorneys AAdams and Reese LLP Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C. Andrews Myers, P.C. Beck Redden LLP BoyarMiller Coats | Rose Cokinos | Young Gibbs & Bruns LLP Hogan Lovells US LLP Kane Russell Coleman & Logan PC Liskow & Lewis Littler Mendelson P.C. Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom McDowell & Hetherington LLP Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Yetter Coleman LLP

Firms of 50-99 attorneys BakerHostetler LLP Brown Sims Greenberg Traurig, LLP Haynes and Boone, LLP Jackson Walker L.L.P. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Susman Godfrey LLP Winstead PC

Firms of 100+ attorneys Baker Botts L.L.P. Bracewell LLP Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP Locke Lord LLP Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP Porter Hedges LLP Vinson & Elkins LLP

corporate legal Departments CenterPoint Energy, Inc. EOG Resources, Inc. MAXXAM, Inc. Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. Quantlab Financial, LLC Rice University S & B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd.

law school Faculty South Texas College of Law Houston Thurgood Marshall School of Law University of Houston Law Center

Government agencies Harris County Attorney’s Office Harris County Domestic Relations Office Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Texas Port of Houston Authority of Harris County, Texas 1st Court of Appeals 14th Court of Appeals