I really enjoyed reading this; much more than I thought I would. I loved the blend of fact and fiction; I felt like I was learning about history while still finding it entertaining. There was a large cast of characters that I did not always keep track of but the nice thing was that you didn't really need to follow that close of attention to who is who to understand the novel.

The storyline of Rednecks is centered around a conflict called the West Virginia Miner Wars (1920-1921). These wars were the most significant armed conflict on American soil since the Civil War, but little is known about it because politicians and coal mining executives covered it up. I will warn you: this book is bloody, violent, and is not an easy read. But people need to read because this is a part of American history.

Another thing that I liked about this book was how the author incorporated actual events and people into the timeline. Everyone (and every event) in this book is real, except for Dr. Muhanna (Doc Moo), a Lebanese-American doctor based on the author’s great-grandfather. It made the book stand out more to me.

I do want to explain the book’s title. The miners wore red kerchiefs tied around their necks, identifying them to the police and army they were fighting against. The police and army started using this as a derogatory statement, and it has stuck to this day.

I was irritated by the end of the book. I thought people would have been up in arms over what happened (a year of war in Appalachia). But instead, people who were sympathetic to the coal miners (mainly politicians) started denouncing everything that happened. And the reason the coal miners went on strike (working conditions and wanting shorter days) was forgotten.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Taylor Brown for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Summers at the Saint. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

A part of history unfolds in reading Rednecks. I had not heart of the Battle of Blair Mountains. It occurred in 1921 between the coal miners, police/law officials and the coal mining companies. It was called the bloodiest battle on American soil since the Civil War.
The author doesn’t hold back on portraying what led up to this…..very well written and very well researched.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a cool story filled with characters who were lovable, complex, and hardy West Virginian's. This was a story of standing up against unfair treatment and advocating for their rights and what is right no matter the cost. I thought it felt slow at time but was such a great book.

Thank you to St. Martin's press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Rednecks by Taylor Brown.

This novel is a fictional re-telling of the Battle of Blair Mountain, an event in the early 1920s that occurred when an army of approximately 10,000 miners attempted an uprising against "King Coal," the mine owners, the state of West Virginia police, and the United States Government to protest their horrible working conditions, lack of livable wage, and treatment by the mining corporations. These corporations were using whatever means necessary to keep the miners from unionizing, including intimidation and sometimes, murder. The novel is told primarily from the perspective of a Lebonese-American doctor who treats the entire community of Matewan and the surrounding areas, the sheriff Smilin' Sid Hatfield, and Big Frank, one of the miners.

When I began reading this book, I knew of the labor wars, but really had no idea how perilous they actually were. This story filled me with outrage for how money can drive people to treat others so terribly, and how some people can turn a blind eye to human suffering. Brown does a great job of describing the intricacies of the different battle stages (maybe too much), while also capturing the heart of the people within these characters. Before reading this story, I actually had no idea where the term "redneck" came from or the origin of its original meaning. This book left me heartbroken at the tragedy of what went on in the hills of West Virginia, and how those events have affected so many generations that followed.

I recommend this book if you are a historical fiction lover who likes to learn about events that aren't widely written about. This novel was very eye-opening for me.

Rednecks is about a period of time I knew very little about. It takes place in the 1920's and the story revolves around the West Virginia Mine Wars. It is evident that a lot of research went into this novel, but at times it felt repetitive and read more like a textbook instead of fiction. Those who enjoy historical fiction with lots of facts and details ought to give this one a go, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped to.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Rednecks by Taylor Brown is a historical fiction novel about the coal wars in West Virginia during 1920-21. The novel starts in Matewan with the massacre and finishes with the Battle of Blair Mountain. These monumental events are major parts of WV and American history. The Battle of Blair Mountain involved 10,000 miners fighting for the right to unionize and safer working conditions in the mines. Their families were evicted from company housing and forced to live in tents. The miners were up against mine thugs and state militias of volunteers armed with guns. The US Army was deployed to the area and it became the largest conflict since the Civil War on US soil.

I would recommend this book for historical fiction readers, especially West Virginians. I was born and raised in West Virginia and appreciate the history that Taylor Brown has brought to life in this novel. It is well researched and gets to the heart of coal country. Brown takes you to the hollers of WV, shows how hard coal miners worked, risked injury and death every day, and how the power of coal money defied laws and decency.

Redneck has become a derogatory term for white poor people of the Southern US. But the term has been recognized as originating during the coal wars when the miners wore red bandanas that were used primarily to protect their faces and lungs from the coal dust. The bandanas became a symbol of defiance and unification. Brown gives his characters the recognition they deserve for bringing to light harrowing working conditions and unlawful treatment by mine owners.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Historical Fiction fans and early 20th century buffs, add it to your list! Thank you @stmartinspress for my early digital and print copy of @taylorbrown82 new novel, REDNECKS.

I grew up in the Appalachia of upper east TN, and I often heard of the Hatfields. When I read the early summary of Brown’s new novel, I thought it sounded interesting, being set in Appalachia of WV, to learn more about this lesser known corner of American history, so here we are!

The novel follows the storyline of America’s largest work uprising in history, the coal miners of Matewan, West Virginia seeking fair working conditions, the loss of many lives, culminating in the Battle of Blair Mountain.

I liked that the novel carries various first person perspectives from Smilin’ Sid Hatfield to Doctor Domit Ibrahim Muhanna, Mother Mary Jones, as well as the coal company’s hired hands. I liked that we met characters like brothers Bonney and Lacey who were members of the Harlem hellfighters along with Big Frank and his grandmother. I was confused when I thought Sid was a primary character and he passes at 40% of the way through the novel. But I suppose at this point the Rednecks were truly the main character…

This is a novel that history buffs will truly enjoy, as his shines light on the struggle for many of these hard-working Americans of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, supporting the needs of an entire nation often from a world where they owned nothing, slept in tent cities, and were abused and neglected by those in power and with money.

I liked that Mother Jones is a prominent figure in the novel, its good to see women at the forefront of the labor union and of course, my guess is most people don’t have a lot of knowledge about her! Go read more if you want!

Having said that it took me a while to read it, we are super busy right now with the end of the school year and I just didn’t feel the pull to pick it up and keep reading. I think that is a me thing and not a novel thing, for what it’s worth.

Rednecks by Taylor Brown is a blow-by-blow narration of the Mine Wars after WWI over Appalachian coal miners. It is a primary example of the government, at all levels, taking the side of the bosses and wealthy against the workers. All the miners really wanted, in the beginning, was safe working conditions, ie. air shafts in the mines, but it became a full out war. The company came and tossed everyone out of their homes, and their belongings with them, while the men were at work. The elderly, newborns, children, et al. No one was spared. They all moved to tents which quickly became a health hazard. They sent gunmen and shot anyone who got in the way, until they met the sheriff, Sid, who fought back. He got charged for it but got a sympathetic jury. Eventually they got him, too. It was horrifying.

There were plenty of characters, all based on real people. The first was one of the primary characters, Dr Moo (Domit Muhanna)who had immigrated when he was fourteen and went on the become a doctor, one who made house/tent/battlefield calls. His patient, Miss Beulah was an ornery old woman who he visited weekly. She could no longer do much except what could be done from her rocking chair. She lived with her grandson, Frank, who was a mountain of a man, and stubborn as all get out. They tried to beat him to death, but didn’t succeed. Excellent characters all. There is so much in the country, like every other country on earth, to be embarrassed about. This is one of those things. Thanks Taylor Brown for bringing it to my attention.

I was invited to read Rednecks by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #TaylorBrown #Rednecks

First of all, really crazy that this novel is based on true events and a seemingly forgotten part of American history by most. I had heard of Mother Jones, but honestly didn't know much about her and knew nothing of the events this novel centers around before reading. Highlighting this dark and overlooked part of history would make this a great read on its own, but the author further follows through by immersing the reader into this time period and this moment in history with strong visual imagery and developed characters. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, particularly those who are fans of overlooked parts of history, or quite frankly war novels. There are parts that are definitely not for the faint of heart, but that also makes it an action-packed page turner.

First I would like to thank St. Martin Press for this complimentary #Promo copy of Rednecks #SMPinfluencer !
This book was amazing and a much needed change in my reading routine. I love a good historical fiction and Brown is a talent! Rednecks gives an intense look into the Mine Wars of 1920 and 1921 and gives new perspective to some American history I had no idea about. The story is tragic and is a challenging read. The pace is excellent and the characters from Doc Moo to Big Frank and Miss Beulah along with real life figures Mother Jones and Sid Hatfield are so well written you want the story to just keep going and maybe have a happier ending. I am so glad I got to read this and learn more about our countries storied past. Can't wait to read more from Brown!

4.5/5
As soon as I read the title Rednecks, my interest was piqued. Turns out this story was nothing like what I expected based on the title alone. Rednecks by Taylor Brown tells the story of the West Virginia Mine Wars. I am not well-versed on labor unions or their history or even coal mining for that matter. However, through Brown's dramatic storytelling, the tale of the Matewan Massacre and the Battle of Blair Mountain came to life. His expertise in infusing his characters with the stories of real-life people (including his own great grandfather!) made the history of the Mine Wars relatable.

One million rounds fired. A bomb dropped on American citizens in America by other Americans? What happened to the miners of West Virginia was abhorrent. I can't believe I have never heard of this before! I was grateful for Doc Moo. I admired Miss Beulah and Mother Jones. I was rooting for Big Frank and the other miners fighting for fair compensation and a safe work environment. This was just such an engrossing story! I am thankful Taylor Brown decided to share their experiences.

If you love historical fiction, add Rednecks by Taylor Brown to your tbr now!

Read this if you like:
•  Southern historical dramas
•  Little known historical events
•  20th century historical fiction

This one was hard to rate for me. I would say it’s closer to 3.5, but mostly just because I wasn’t sure I was going to stick with it after the first half just due to lack of interest on the topic. I’m glad I did though as it got much more interesting and I grew more invested in a few of the characters, mainly the doctor and the Beulah and frank storylines. It is definitely well-written and well-researched. It is my first book by this author, but I would pick up another if it was a subject I was interested in. I can see a lot of people that like reading about fictionalized real historical events seriously enjoying this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc and to Macmillan for the physical copy of this book!

This is my introduction to Taylor Brown and I am here for it! I love historical fiction stories that addresses racial issues and I really loved this story.

This story felt like I was watching a movie, and the last author that did that for me was S.A. Cosby - dare I compare the two????

After reading this story I can't wait to read Brown's other novels!

Well-researched historical fiction, especially when it focuses on an event or time period that is not often written about, is my favorite genre, so when I saw Rednecks was based on the Battle of Blair Mountain, I jumped at the chance to read it. The story of the West Virginia miners fight for the right to unionize and improve their working conditions is a unique entry in the historical fiction world, and one that I will not soon forget.

The characters, both real people and fictional beings, come from a wide range of backgrounds, and by the end of the book many had captured my heart. The plight of the miners and their families was portrayed in a way that made me understand why they were willing to risk everything to unionize. The book will appeal to readers of war novels primarily, although despite not being a fan of that type of story I did enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Rednecks by Taylor Brown. The opinions in this review are my own.

This is the story of the Battle on Blair Mountain. This is where an army of 10,000 coal miners battle mine owners, state militia, and the United States government in the largest labor uprising in American history. A powerful story of rebellion against oppression.

This tale is full of great historical detail and unique characters! I knew some of how the redneck term came about, but I did not know all. What these coal miners went through to get safe practices and fair wages is mind boggling.

I did find the tale a bit redundant and repetitive in places. This is a minor issue, I learned such a great deal!

Need a well researched novel about a tale most of us have forgotten about…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Rednecks by Taylor Brown is about the civil massacre that happened on Blair Mountain in West Virginia. When mine workers started forming a union the mine owners formed a security force called the Brandt security who went around evicting everyone who worked at the mine and lived in one of their homes and despite the fact they didn’t fire them in the workers lived in tents outside of the town they still harassed cajoled and made up laws as they went from not being able to carry guns, union paraphernalia to not being able to gather in groups bigger than two or three people. One person who refuse to view the Brandt boys as law-enforcement was sheriffSid Hatfield, Sid had a long history in West Virginia and with the coal minors and stood with the coal minors something he would pay dearly for. It also follows Frank and his grandmother Mama D a black coal mine are living in one of the tents and he was one of the deadly seven coal workers who would see this fight until the bitter end. We also follow Dr. Mue, an Italian American, a Doctor, a family man, a devout Catholic, a a friend of Mama D in all who lived in tent city and beyond everyone I mentioned is fighting for their version of America as the author so App states in the book the mind owners didn’t want a union, the mine workers wanted one and everyone else was just caught in the middle and the end the army would be called in. The story is about that fight there are many personal stories told in the author did his due diligence and with the exception of a few people most of the characters were real and actually survived this ordeal this was a great book and one I definitely recommend. Sometimes in life you run across an author that you feel is a kindred spirit and that is definitely what I felt while reading Taylor Brown’s book and after going over the other ones in his catalog. I am now a humongous fan of this author and will definitely be reading more from him ASAP. This is a great book with surprising facts heroic true life events and a fiction narrative so worth reading. I want to thank Saint martins press and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Rednecks by Taylor Brown

This story is inspired by some real and some imagined characters given names by the author. The West Virginia miners’ strike of 1920-1921 actually happened.

Taylor Brown really did his homework for this book. The actions “King Coal”-the coal barons-took against those wishing to join a union was brutal. Miners were evicted from their homes and forced into tent encampments without electricity, heat or running water. Families had little food or money, and gun battles were fought where many innocents died.

The rednecks were so named because of the red handkerchiefs they wore as a symbol of solidarity in their quest to unionize. It is a moniker that is still used for mountaineers.

This informative historical fiction account will explain things you may not be aware of about early unionizing, before President FDR signed the Industrial Recovery Act making unions available to all.
Interesting, but for me, it reads more like non-fiction-just a little too dry. I’ll rate it 3 stars for true history buffs.

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love historical fiction; it's one of my favourite genres. However, there's something special about historical fiction that teaches me about events of which I have no background knowledge.
Rednecks sweeps readers back to West Virginia in 1920-1921 where the largest labour union uprising took place. Like most books of this genre, author Taylor Brown incorporates a world in which her fictional characters( Doc Moo, Miss Beluah) rub elbows with the real-life personalities( Mother Jones, Sid Hatfield) of the time.

Rednecks is a slow-burn type of read. From the opening, we see the swift actions of the mining company which owns the town evict the townspeople and force them into tent cities. Time and time again, we see the brutality as the violence escalates and the miners soon number 10,000 fighting against the mining company, the state militia, and even the United States government. It's hard to imagine how quickly orders are carried out against a nation's citizens. But it's not all violence as there are touching moments of family life and community banding together.

This was my first Taylor Brown novel, but I believe it won't be my last.







Publication Date 14/05/24
Goodreads Review 14/05/24

With hard-hitting and lyrical prose Taylor Brown has given us a gritty, sometimes gruesome, portrait of the Battle of Blair Mountain. He takes his time building up to the actual days of conflict. Key characters are brought to life, many based on real people like Dr. Moo, wife Buddeea, and son Musa. There is charismatic Sid Hatfield of the infamous feuding families. Real life Mother Mary Jones is woven throughout as she advocates for "her boys." One of those fictional boys was a Black WW I veteran named Frank Hugham. His perseverance through suffering and abuse was largely due to the love and support from his grandmother, Mama-B. You will love her and the Irish wolfhound who adopts her like I did. The blatant disregard of the mine owners toward their employees is sickening and their abuse of power is indefensible. Their ability to enlist the help of upstanding citizens was an unfortunate weapon in their arsenal. Quite simply, we must love our neighbors to avoid repeating the sins of the past.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Publication Day tomorrow (May 14)!