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A review by bookstolivewith
The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell
3.0
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The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell was an interesting read and I definitely enjoyed learning more about American unions and strikes — I’m not sure if this strike was historical, but there’s definitely tons of historically accurate information about strikes, strikebreaking and prominent political figures in the early 20th century. However, there was a lot of physical and verbal violence as well as a lot of anti-immigrant rhetoric that made it a less-than-pleasant read, if a more honest one.
I found myself occasionally skimming through the more descriptive passages, instead looking for the action. I definitely had my blood boil more than once thinking about how we haven’t really come that far in our opinion of blue-collar workers, immigrants and women, given the current political climate. I was also slightly disappointed as to how the book wrapped-up, as multiple main characters just sort of disappear from the plot and you’re left behind with just a handful of what (in my mind) I considered secondary characters.
If you’re a historical fiction fan, I think this book definitely has merit, as it is well-written, has interesting characters and a different plot (anything that varies beyond WWII is good with me). However, if you don’t tend toward historical fiction in the first place, this one may not be for you.
The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell was an interesting read and I definitely enjoyed learning more about American unions and strikes — I’m not sure if this strike was historical, but there’s definitely tons of historically accurate information about strikes, strikebreaking and prominent political figures in the early 20th century. However, there was a lot of physical and verbal violence as well as a lot of anti-immigrant rhetoric that made it a less-than-pleasant read, if a more honest one.
I found myself occasionally skimming through the more descriptive passages, instead looking for the action. I definitely had my blood boil more than once thinking about how we haven’t really come that far in our opinion of blue-collar workers, immigrants and women, given the current political climate. I was also slightly disappointed as to how the book wrapped-up, as multiple main characters just sort of disappear from the plot and you’re left behind with just a handful of what (in my mind) I considered secondary characters.
If you’re a historical fiction fan, I think this book definitely has merit, as it is well-written, has interesting characters and a different plot (anything that varies beyond WWII is good with me). However, if you don’t tend toward historical fiction in the first place, this one may not be for you.