2000s's review
3.75
Really unique way of documenting a historical event. I found this book through the poem Absalom which I read on Poetry Foundation and is now one of my all time favorite poems. The rest of the book was pretty good but imo didn’t totally match up to that one poem. It was still worth the read and so thoughtful and emotional though, pretty accessible too.
I didn’t read the intro just bc it was so long and kinda intimidated me but I definitely think it’d be useful if you’re interested in Appalachian history, industry, and workers’ rights.
I didn’t read the intro just bc it was so long and kinda intimidated me but I definitely think it’d be useful if you’re interested in Appalachian history, industry, and workers’ rights.
caseybones's review
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Chronic illness
Minor: Violence
prcizmadia's review
5.0
Jesus this work floored me. I can't stop thinking about it. I'm not even sure I'm able to grasp the totality of this and I'm grateful that I'm condemned to wrestling with it, and it's voluminous and unfiltered, clench-fisted truth for a long time yet.
pearseanderson's review
4.0
A powerful, likely revolutionary piece for its time about the glass-like silica of a mountain tunneling operation and the black men who died by the hands of their mining bosses. We will discuss the book in class and I'm sure my appreciation for it will only increase, right now I'm seeing an angry short read about the different, terribly similar, Americans can die slowly.