Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review Rednecks on NetGalley.

Published: 05/14/24

Stars: 4

First time reading about coal mining. I enjoyed the historical experience. The times were as dirty as all other periods of history that I've read or studied. I would like to reread to achieve fully the author's intent. Brown did a lot of research. I was caught up in the story and wonder how much history did I miss.

The characters are a mixed bag and sometimes confused me. However, I think it was the times and the need to survive.

These are coal miners, mountain men, union men: there is profanity.

The union henchmen sent in with orders versus the local miners and their families bring a lot of pain and suffering.

I was able to feel for most of the characters. However, I still don't fully understand Doc.

I recommend this.

In a sometimes disturbing but absorbing story, Taylor Brown tells the tale of an uprising of coal miners who became known as rednecks. The working conditions and total disregard for the miners’ safety led to the formation of a union. Hired by the mines’ owners, private security firms were used to evict miners who joined from their company owned homes. In May of 1920 the Baldwin-Felts agency came to Matewan, WV to evict the miners, which led to a shoot-out, killing the mayor as well as one of the Felts brothers. The miners moved to a tent city where they faced food shortages and squalid conditions. It was just the beginning of what would become an all out war. Sid Hatfield, Matewan’s sheriff, supported the miners and had their respect. When he was gunned down on the steps of a court house, miners from all over gathered in Marmet, donning the red bandana that would give them their name. The violence continued to escalate until the army was finally called in to end the rebellion.

Brown’s story is filled with memorable figures. Mary Harris Jones, known as Mother Jones, spoke in support of the Union and rallied the miners. She considered every one of them to be her boys. Doctor Muhanna, called Dr. Moo, was respected by the people of Matewan and would treat anyone of either side. Having witnessed the conditions in the tent city and the treatment of the miners, his conscience forced him to take a stand. Big Frank, warned by his grandmother, Miss Beulah, to always be careful, was randomly arrested and almost beaten to death. Saved by Dr. Moo, he realized that it was war between the miners and owners. He used his experiences in the war to help train the armed miners. This was an important event in American history that led to Americans’ rights to join a union. Brown brings the story to life in a way that will stay with the reader long after the last page. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book.

I missed the part where this novel was a Western. I know that should have been obvious from the title and cover, but... as a Southern Appalachian myself, I thought I would enjoy it. Unfortunately, even after trying to re-read the first five chapters, I just couldn't get into it. That being said, I think patrons in our library who enjoy Westerns will absolutely love it! And the 4.18 star rating on goodreads further proves that the book is fantastic for its genre, just not for me.

Previously I had read [book:Gods of Howl Mountain|34964885] by Taylor Brown and I enjoyed it, so I was glad to have the opportunity to sample another of his works. The title caught my attention first and made me want to investigate.

Description:
A historical drama based on the Battle of Blair Mountain, pitting a multi-ethnic army of 10,000 coal miners against mine owners, state militia, and the United States government in the largest labor uprising in American history.

Rednecks is a tour de force, big canvas historical novel that dramatizes the 1920 to 1921 events of the West Virginia Mine Wars—from the Matewan Massacre through the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest armed conflict on American soil since the Civil War, when some one million rounds were fired, bombs were dropped on Appalachia, and the term “redneck” would come to have an unexpected origin story.

Brimming with the high stakes drama of America’s buried history, Rednecks tells a powerful story of rebellion against oppression. In a land where the coal companies use violence and intimidation to keep miners from organizing, “Doc Moo" Muhanna, a Lebanese-American doctor (inspired by the author’s own great-grandfather), toils amid the blood and injustice of the mining camps. When Frank Hugham, a Black World War One veteran and coal miner, takes dramatic steps to lead a miners' revolt with a band of fellow veterans, Doc Moo risks his life and career to treat sick and wounded miners, while Frank's grandmother, Beulah, fights her own battle to save her home and grandson. Real-life historical figures burn bright among the hills: the fiery Mother Jones, an Irish-born labor organizer once known as "The Most Dangerous Woman in America," struggles to maintain the ear of the miners ("her boys") amid the tide of rebellion, while the sharp-shooting police chief "Smilin" Sid Hatfield dares to stand up to the "gun thugs" of the coal companies, becoming a folk hero of the mine wars.

Award-winning novelist Taylor Brown brings to life one of the most compelling events in 20th century American history, reminding us of the hard-won origins of today's unions. Rednecks is a propulsive, character-driven tale that’s both a century old and blisteringly contemporary: a story of unexpected friendship, heroism in the face of injustice, and the power of love and community against all odds.

My Thoughts:
This is historical fiction at its best. There is a great deal of this book that actually happened and Brown has masterfully provided fictional details which still allow for the true story to come through. The plight of the coal miners is heart-breaking. They were such an underdog group fighting for better working conditions against nearly insurmountable obstacles put up by the mine owners and their brutes. The battle was fierce, but Brown made you feel the fierce determination of the coal miners as they doggedly fought for their very survival. This really opened my eyes to the conditions in those coal mines and how the workers were living. I would recommend it to anyone who likes history or wants to know more about the past in the appalachian mines of West Virginia and Kentucky.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Buckle up, folks, because Taylor Brown's "Rednecks" is a gut punch of a book that'll leave you wanting to cheer and cry in equal measure. Brown takes a slice of buried American history – the brutal West Virginia Mine Wars – and injects it with fictional characters that feel realer than real.

This ain't your typical history lesson. Brown weaves facts about the miners' plight – the company greed, the deadly working conditions, the fight for basic rights – into a story that feels like you're right there in the trenches with them. You meet Doc Moo, a Lebanese-American doctor caught in the crossfire, tending to the sick and injured with grit and compassion. Then there's Big Frank, a miner with a heart as big as his calloused hands, fighting for his family and his community.

Brown doesn't shy away from the harsh realities. The violence is raw, the desperation palpable. But through it all, there's this unwavering spirit, this fierce love for family and home that shines through. You see it in the way the miners band together, in the mountain music that carries their defiance, in the resilience of the women who hold things together when the world seems to be falling apart.

"Rednecks" is a historical fiction masterpiece. It's a story about the forgotten heroes of the working class, a testament to the enduring human spirit, and a reminder of the battles fought for the rights we often take for granted today. You might need a box of tissues nearby, but trust me, this is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review

Rednecks is a historical novel based on the events that occurred in Matewan and culminated in a labor war at Blair Mountain, West Virginia during 1920-1921. Taylor Brown work is a slow burn that slowly engulfs the reader.

Rednecks is told from several points of view, from Dr. Moo, the immigrant doctor trying his best to treat patients on both sides of the conflict, to Frank Hugham, a black miner at the head of the revolution, and his aged mother-figure, Beulah, and even Sid Hatfield (of Hatfield and McCoy fame). All perspectives are explored and, although a reader will automatically side with the rednecks, Brown offers an honest depiction of both sides of the conflict, focusing on the human component.


My thanks to NetGalley, author Taylor Brown, and publisher St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

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!