The Great Salt Lake is a key work in U.S. eco-literature. The story depicts the struggle of birds to survive in a habitat threatened by human intervention and the devastating effects of nearby nuclear testing. As Terry cares for her cancer-stricken mother, she investigates the effects of radioactive rainfall. The book links the fate of birds with that of humans affected by an ecological crisis, reminding us of our fragility in the face of nature's blind yet beautiful forces.