"Rednecks" is a big canvas, historic novel that dramatizes West Virginia Mine Wars during the 1920's —from the Matewan Massacre through the Battle of Blair Mountain, which was the largest armed conflict on American soil since the Civil War. During it, one million rounds were fired, bombs were dropped on Appalachian soil, and the term “redneck” came to life.
In a land where 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 figures burn bright in this novel. 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 amid the tide of rebellion, and the sharp-shooting police chief Sid Hatfield dares to stand up to the "gun thugs" hired by the coal companies, becoming a folk hero.
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.
