There are a lot of books out there that talk about Appalachia or the coal industry and I really appreciate the authors examination of both subjects in this book. This book will break your heart when you learn about the communities call affected negatively and how hard the people of Appalachia have had to work to have an environment safe to live in. This is one of those books that should be required reading, it focuses on a forgotten area of the country and a forgotten people.

Jeff Young and the Ohio Valley Resource have gathered an astounding amount of research through historical documents, interviews, and other primary and secondary sources to tell the story of mining in Appalachia and how that history, as well as the current policies and prejudices that continue to harm mining communities. This is part scathing account of the ways in which our current administration and many current and former local governments and politicians have unequivocally failed miners and their families, and part examination of mining culture and the descendants of miners, who are left in nearly destitute communities with little prospect of opportunity.

Young and his co-writers expertly wrote this history, almost a social science text or ethnography, using facts and data but also creating a cohesive and engaging narrative. They included highlights on specific people every few chapters, which was a brilliant way to add even more personal narrative and meaning to the historical facts, information about legislation, and cultural context. Even the portions of the book that examined and analyzed those pieces of legislation, the data surrounding the health and addiction crises in many of these communities, and the historical context and ramifications of mining and the policies relating to it were engrossing, which was a pleasant surprise. There was some implicit reference to the fact that many of these communities vote certain politicians into office, from one specific party, that claim to have the interests of low-middle-class Americans in mind but prove over and over again that that is a blatant lie. It seemed like everywhere my mind went, asking myself questions about the implications and cultural and political environments of these communities, the authors addressed it shortly thereafter. This is an incredibly thorough text that manages to be interesting and completely cohesive while simultaneously presenting an incredibly robust set of research.

The only thing that wasn’t addressed much was any sort of racial disparities or issues within these communities. I am really interested in doing a little bit of my own research to see how Black and Indigenous people in these communities have fared. There was also not an acknowledgment (that I could find) of the fact that the environmental degradation and exploitation was happening on stolen land, that the land belongs to Indigenous communities. It would have been really meaningful and have rounded out the research and narrative to have even a brief, concise discussion about this.

Overall, I think this is a fascinating examination of communities that often get moved to the sidelines of our activism and narrative around politics and socioeconomic equality. I wish the authors had delved more into race and sovereignty, but for what they set out to do, I think they did an absolutely remarkable job. I enjoyed it thoroughly and am looking forward to gifting this to some of my Appalachian family members.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy!

This is such an important book and I am so grateful to have received an ARC from the publisher. I will recommend it to my customers and to my friends. Jeff Young eloquently tells the story of Appalachia and the coal industry. As a Canadian residing in southern Ontario, I am not familiar with this story so I found Young's writing both educating and heartbreaking. Also, his warnings illustrated here are not just for Appalachian citizens or even just Americans - this is a message we all need to hear. Young has clearly done his research and thoughtfully presented an urgent story that all of us should read and hear. I wonder to myself how the author would have written his message had he been publishing in the pandemic time. I can only imagine his warnings would be even more urgent. IF you are concerned about where our economies and societies are heading, I urge you to read this book. Although this review may sound preachy - Young's writing is anything but. I am not familiar with his writing but his voice is rather poetic, flowing and quite entertaining. This is a book that packs a punch but at same time is easy to read. Thank you and I hope to sell many copies.