“I read this book as part of a freshman writing course at Berea. The course focused on identity and diversity. Since Appalachia is a subtopic of the course we discussed true events both historic and current concerning Kentucky coal mining. This novel is fictional, but based on true events. The author has written factual newspaper articles about coal mining protests. The book is a moving betrayal of how industrial greed backed by the machine of government robbed people of their heritage and constitutional rights. A love triangle is also a subplot of the novel to soften the harsh truths of the novel. It is a worthwhile and fairly easy read for me because I am familiar with Eastern Kentucky dialect. This may be challenging for others, but worth the trouble.”
