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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
The book sent me researching about the strike, Annie Clements, and the history of unions. As always, Russel's work is well-researched and told in an accessible story format.
Hauntingly relevant to today.
Good for book discussion
Hauntingly relevant to today.
Good for book discussion
This book was very depressing in its accurate portrayal of the harm that capitalism has always done and continues to do (just saw an article about Amazon employing Pinkerton spies to make sure their workers don't try to unionize), and luckily it was full of memorable and sometimes endearing characters. It's a heartbreaking story, but an important one.
This book was incredibly researched and written. Events about the 1913 copper mining strike and a compilation of important characters and. Proof of how strong our immigrant ancestors and the underrepresenting of women in History. We are so lucky to live today with freedoms and benefits. I highly recommend reading this book if you are midwestern. Important to read the authors note.
" ...A good day in the mine is a day when nobody gets killed or crippled. Or if somebody does, at least, its's not you...'" This was the harsh reality of the miners in 1913 Camulet, Michigan. Twenty-five-year-old Annie Collins saw first hand the hardships that men underwent daily from her childhood with her father and later husband. The men risked their lives daily to earn meagre salaries and to put food on the table while the mining companies make incredible profits. When she and fellow women decided to stand up for the miners, the miners rally behind her to seek change for the greater good. However, the change that they seek will come at a great cost..
Ms Russell transports the reader back to the beginning of the 20th century and paints a powerful picture of the early labour and trade union movement in America. She does not shy away from immigration issues as the vast number of men who worked underground where mostly European immigrants seeking better lives for themselves and their families. Issues that are still relevant in today's America and world. She delightfully uses quotes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to title the chapters which give them a poignant touch.
The Women of the Copper Country should be snagged for a limited edition TV series or movie. I am looking forward to reading more work from Mary Doria Russell
Ms Russell transports the reader back to the beginning of the 20th century and paints a powerful picture of the early labour and trade union movement in America. She does not shy away from immigration issues as the vast number of men who worked underground where mostly European immigrants seeking better lives for themselves and their families. Issues that are still relevant in today's America and world. She delightfully uses quotes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to title the chapters which give them a poignant touch.
The Women of the Copper Country should be snagged for a limited edition TV series or movie. I am looking forward to reading more work from Mary Doria Russell
3.5 stars. I love that this book is set in the Upper Peninsula. I learned so much about union organizing and working conditions in mines during the early 1900s. And it was neat to see one of my graduate school professors, Dr Beck, thanked in the book’s afterword. This book depicts a brutal time and place. If you’re looking for a happy ending then choose something else. But the history is fascinating and I was left with a deep appreciation that time has brought such advancement to labor rights and labor relations. Hopefully that progress will only continue.
I wanted to love this book but I just didn't. The historical context is interesting and it's a story that should be told but I just never connected with the characters enough to care all that much about what happened. I was invested enough to finish but it was a slog.
The first half of the book was a slow read and I almost didn’t finish it. The second half redeemed it a bit.
I love historical fiction, but also struggle when authors create fictitious characters that become important characters to the story they are telling. Kind of a bummer when I read the author notes at the end to see how she changed names and created people to showcase her ideals. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understood it was not non-fiction, but when a main characters job, personality, and name were all changed? Just a bit of a let down.
I love historical fiction, but also struggle when authors create fictitious characters that become important characters to the story they are telling. Kind of a bummer when I read the author notes at the end to see how she changed names and created people to showcase her ideals. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understood it was not non-fiction, but when a main characters job, personality, and name were all changed? Just a bit of a let down.