Since my roots are in union organizing of coal miners, albeit in Pennsylvania, not West Virginia, I was very interested in reading Rednecks. This is really good historical fiction, well written about little known parts of US history. The characters are all well-developed, the story both sad and enlightening; This is not my usual read, but I'm glad I read it. I learned a lot.

I learned about a lesser known bit of American History that I didn't learn in school. I'm know looking for other books by this author.

When I saw that Taylor Brown had written a new book, I was onboard after reading several others by this talented author. This historical account is a bit of a departure though still with beautiful storytelling and extensive research. It's an important story of the largest labor uprising in American history taking place in Kentucky surrounding the Appalachian coal mines. Surprisingly I had never heard of this even though I've lived in Kentucky all my 58 years. While I enjoyed learning the history, I was a bit bogged down by the gritty detail of the war itself but I'm appreciative that the story has now come to life. I would recommend this book to native Kentuckians and to history or war buffs but its probably not something everyone would enjoy. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Taylor Brown did it again. He breathes life into a time in history, and brings the emotions to the surface as if they just happened. His subject with Rednecks is the West Virginia Mine Wars of 1920-1921. You may have never heard of such a war and that’s what makes this book even more enjoyable. It’s a lazy way to learn about some pivotal moments in our nation’s history that we normally would have never known about. And it’s an indepth look at how hard life was for the mining families, and especially the families struggling to survive the terrain of West Virginia. Thank you Taylor, for another historically entertaining read.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 14, 2024.

***In this mix of fictional and fascinating historical elements, Brown crafts a character-driven story of the shocking, widespread, deadly West Virginia Mine Wars and thousands-strong labor uprising that took place in 1920 and 1921.***

In Rednecks, Taylor Brown presents a historical novel centering around the real-life events of the 1920 and 1921 West Virginia Mine Wars. Ranging from the Matewan Massacre through the Battle of Blair Mountain, which pitted 10,000 desperate, fed-up miners against greedy, ruthless coal operators, state militia, and the U.S. government.

Rednecks offers a mix of fictional and real characters in this riveting tale of rebellion and oppressive control--a story of the largest labor uprising in United States history.

Brown unfailingly offers a character-driven tale set in a lushly built setting, with large-scale life-and-death, good-and-evil struggles that he brings to life through rich figures that fascinate and sometimes break your heart.

What brings the book to life are versions of the real-life figures of Mother Jones (the elderly woman once called The Most Dangerous Woman in America) and the sharpshooter Sid Hatfield; and characters like Doc "Moo," a Lebanese-American doctor (inspired by Taylor Brown's great-grandfather); Big Frank, a black World War I veteran fed up with fear and intimidation; and Frank's feisty grandmother Beulah.

The true events that inspired the book are shocking and often read like fiction--the cutthroat, sometimes deadly efforts of coal-company enforcers to subdue rebellion; the years of suffering for thousands of vulnerable mining families; and the hopeless trudge forward in a cycle of poor health, hunger, too-little pay and carefully orchestrated poverty, extremely dangerous work, and, often, death. By the time the uproar and intensive violence that shook West Virginia begin to take shape, Brown has laid the groundwork for the uprising.

Much of Rednecks focuses on the brutal battles that defined the violence of the time, particularly the pivotal Battle of Blair Mountain.

Minor note: Brown explores the origin of the term "rednecks," one that surprised me.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Taylor Brown is also the author of Wingwalkers, The Gods of Howl Mountain, and Fallen Land, a title I loved and included in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Historical Fiction Stories about the Civil War, plus other novels.

This historical novel dramatizes the 1920-21 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. Although I was vaguely aware of the labor/union problems in the past, this book really educated me.

There are some excellent characters in the book including Mother Jones, an Irish-born labor organizer once known as "The Most Dangerous Woman in America", Dr. Domit “Doc Moo" Muhanna, a Lebanese-American doctor (inspired by the author’s own great-grandfather), and "Smilin" Sid Hatfield who stood up to the "gun thugs" of the coal companies, becoming a folk hero of the mine wars, to name just a few. I really struggled with this book and found I could only read it in small doses. This is no fault of the book; it was very well written with much historical information. I think I just found it too heartbreaking to read how Americans treated their fellow Americans and how families suffered. All those men dead and for nothing. Or maybe it's because some of those things or variations of them are still happening in that country. To me this book was deserving of 3.5 stars but I debated whether to round up or down. Each reader will need to make their own decision.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for providing this copy for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Published: May 14, 2024

It has been a long time since I read a book set in the west or about that time periods.

I cannot imagine the conditions miners used to work in and I do not blame them for wanting to make it better.

I loved the characters in this story. I also cannot imagine what the doctor saw and went thru.

Would love to see this book come to life as a movie!

This is the fictionalized version of the fight on Blair Mountain. When the coal miners are treated so horribly they tried to join a union and the mine operators fired them, threw them out of their homes and beat them.

There were a lot of characters and this took me longer to read than it should have. Perhaps I just didn't have enough time to devote to it and at one point but I found the amount of characters overwhelming and had trouble keeping track of what side they were on. I like stories more character driven and the only characters I found to be really fleshed out were Doc Moo and Big Frank. On the other hand I give high marks for writing, plot, intrigue and atmosphere and would definitely recommend this.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

Thank You to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel showcases the dangers of mining in the 1920's mining industry and the power of the owners of mines as well as the lack of control the miners had over their own lives. This novel based on true events following miners trying to gain rights and safety measures to protect their lives through the development of unions. The owners are more interested in profit then the safety of their workers which leads to a violent confrontation between the different factions.
This is a great historical novel that I thoroughly enjoyed from page 1 to the very last page. Full of action, desperate measures, corrupt authorities and a fight for a better life.

“Law only serves them that’s in power. Ain’t no different than always...’Tis the victor who writes the history—and counts the dead.”

I’ve been an enthusiastic fan of author Taylor Brown since reading Gods of Howl Mountain, which was published in 2018. His new novel, Rednecks, is out now, and as with his earlier work, it is outstanding. My great thanks go to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the invitation to read and review.

Brown tells the story of the Battle of Blair Mountain, a very real large scale battle, complete with machine guns, helicopters, tens of thousands of angry, armed miners, and the U.S. Army, an event which really did take place in the Appalachian Mountains in 1921. Over a million rounds were fired, and then the story was suppressed by the government, bosses, and big business media.

In his author’s note, Brown tells us that the character of Dr. Muhanna, a heroic individual sympathetic to the cause of the miners, is based on his own great-grandfather. There is a meaty explanation of what parts of the story are based on the actual historical record, and what parts—small ones, to be sure—he has changed.

Apart from his skill as a writer and researcher, the thing that I have always loved best about Brown is his deep respect for the working class. It shines through every page of this novel. Mother Jones, the fiery Socialist labor organizer, is here as well, and she is possibly my favorite figure in American history. Unfortunately, she is not at her best here. Past ninety years of age and in poor health, she attempts to deceive the miners into quitting their struggle early once she learns that Washington, D.C. intends to send troops. It’s a pity that her many years of inspirational organizing and leadership are not on display here, but the facts are the facts, and this story is not, after all, chiefly about Mother, but about the miners, so I suppose that Brown has written it in the only honest way that it could be written. There are indeed passages that demonstrate her eloquence and loyalty to workers of every race and ethnicity.

As I read, I like to highlight passages to include as quotes in my review. This time, I came away with 53 quotes. Reluctantly, I am setting most of them aside; you will have to find them yourself. They’re better within the context of the story, anyway.

As a personal aside, I will mention that my own grandfather—“Papaw”—died of Black Lung disease in 1978 after having worked in a nonunion mine in South Dakota beginning in the eighth grade. He had to leave school and work fulltime, as there was not a social net back then, and he and his family would have starved if he had done otherwise. World War II brought him better fortunes, but coal dust, once lodged in the lungs, never leaves.

This is a gritty tale to be sure, one full of bloodshed and suffering, but also of immense courage and inspirational leadership. I read it in small bites lest it work its way into my dreams, until I reached the climax, at which point I had no choice in the matter, and was unable to put it down. This book is one of the year’s best. I highly recommend it to those that love labor history, historical fiction, or that just love a well-told story.

An accurate portrayal of the most violent labor strike in the US that has been ignored. There was an all out war in the mountains of West Virginia against King Coal, the mine operators, the hired detective agencies and all else who fought against the miners and union men who wanted to be their fair due for working the mines.

The book is quite violent and told like a war story, and that is because this union strike turned into a war.

The book was well written, had some great phrases and descriptions, however my one gripe is the other side was shown as completely in the wrong with no redeeming quality. Not every person is fully evil or bad, and having a bit of humanity in portraying the other side does lend for a better read.

That said, this book returns a history that has been forgotten and needs to be remembered.

I’ve been a fan of Taylor Brown’s books ever since I read his first best-seller, Fallen, shortly after it was published in 2016. Even though I have read every book he has written since then (five in all) it has remained my favorite, until now. With las month’s release of , a fictionalized account of the largest armed uprising since the American Civil War, Brown has cemented himself as one of the leading authors of historical fiction to come out of the American South since Shelby Foote.

West Virginia’s <i> Battle of Blair Mountain</i> is also the largest and deadliest labor uprising in United States history, in which as many as 10 thousand striking coal miners fought against state police, local militias and private detectives hired by the mine owners. Although the miners held a vast advantage in numbers, the mines’ owners employed surplus gatling guns and airplanes which dropped bombs and poison gas on the strikers’ positions.* The strike finally ended when the president ordered U. S. Troops into the area to quell the <i>insurrection</i>. As many of the miners had served in the military during the Great War, they didn’t want to fire on the soldiers and most chose to surrender rather than do so. By its end, more than 100 people on both sides were killed, mostly miners.

Brown did an excellent job of breathing life into the actual historical characters such as Mary <i>Mother</i> Jones, UMW president Bill Blizzard, Logan County Sheriff Don Chafin, and Smilin’ Sid Hatfield (yes, one of <i>those Hatfields</i>), but his portrayal of his more-or-less fictional characters was magnificent. In most cases, he cobbled together bits and pieces of several actual participants into a single heroic entity such as that of ‘Big Frank Hugham’ who survived an attempted murder by Baldwin-Felts Detective and went on the become a leading figure in the battle. My favorite character, though, was Doctor Domit ‘<i>Moo</i>’ Muhanna, an immigrant doctor whose dedication to the Hippocratic Oath took him into the worst of the fighting to treat combatants on both sides. This character was based on Brown’s own grandfather, whose story bears striking similarities to his fictional counterpart.

Until Franklin Roosevelt signed the National Recovery Act in 1933, stories involving labor movements rarely had happy endings. Not only did the mine and factory owners control the money, the weapons and the politicians, they also controlled what the rest of us heard about such movements. Had we lived back then, we would not have been reading stories sympathetic to them or their cause. Brown portrays this brilliantly when he describes how censors handled a story that a reporter had risked his life to get.<blockquote>“Cut this,” he said, setting the paper on the table, striking a sentence with his thumbnail, hard enough to leave a crease: <i>Gaunt-faced women, barefooted and expressionless watched the troops pass. Some of them waved half-heartedly.</i>
“No sob stuff for these Rednecks,” he said. He went on cutting and deleting, killing more lines, turning images into ghosts. People who once existed in the story were cut out. They disappeared between the lines, into the margins, like they’d never been.
Sparkes ground his teeth. He’d followed the American Expeditionary Force across Europe in the Great War, working on the bloody edge of the campaign, and never faced such a knife. The man before him seemed so sure of himself, so certain of his rightness. “No patriotic stuff from these people,” he said, cutting another line.
“You seem pretty cavalier about this, Major. You’re cutting awfully close with the United States Constitution right now, don’t you think?”
Bad Tony raised one eye at him. “All that time on the front lines, writing your stories, and you ain’t learned how it works yet. <i>’Tis the victor who writes the history—”
“And counts the dead.</i> Yes, I know the quote.”</blockquote>Bottom line: I can’t recommend this book highly enough. If you are thinking about reading this, stop thinking and start reading.



* The book’s characters claimed that this was the first time that American’s had subjected other Americans to aerial bombardment in the United States, but this is incorrect. Three months previously, bombs were dropped on the Greenwood District during the Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma. It’s highly unlikely that anyone in West Virginia would have known that, though, so the author can be forgiven.

Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

With an overall length of under 330 pages, Rednecks is packed with history. A history that not many people are familiar with. I had never heard of the West Virginia Mine Wars until this book. Brown did his research and brought real-life characters to the story along with well-crafted fictional characters.

The way the story is written, you will feel yourself invested in it and cheer for the miners. All they wanted was the right to have a life—is that too much to ask? These men came from all walks of life, trying to make way for themselves and their families. They were promised the sun, the moon, and the stars and found themselves living in horror. And many of these men weren’t men but young boys trying to help their families survive.

After reading Rednecks, I have a better understanding of the term redneck. As someone who spent their formative years in the South, I never truly understood the word. I always assumed it was an insult and not a name someone wanted to be called. Now, I know better! I will hold my head high when someone uses that word to describe me!

Who do I feel should read Rednecks? Everyone, especially if they are interested in American history. Or even if they are curious about the rise and fall of labor organizations. Rednecks will make you stop and think about what our ancestors went through to survive.

Amazing writing about a horrific incident and lifestyle. There is definitely some kindness which helps balance. I had a difficult time envisioning myself in this setting but that is another testament to the quality of writing. It’s always worthwhile to learn about history which I wasn’t previously aware. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

good mystery and i loved the friends too. I really enjoyed the romance and how it solved . I also loved reading this author. Really enjoyed her friends. Great book.

This historical fiction is set in 1920/21 an chronicles the real Battle of Blair Mountain, which was between the coal mines and the miners who were trying to improve the horrible conditions and unionize. The author has included real people and other characters inspired by real people. It is a very educational read but suffers a little due to the need to keep true to the real story and the number of characters. It is, however, a fascinating, albeit violent, story and one that is worthy of your time. 3.75/5

See full review in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution"

The fight to unionize America’s coal industry culminated in a cataclysmic clash in 1921 between 10,000 Appalachian coal miners and 3,000 law enforcement and civilian coal supporters. The Battle of Blair Mountain is still ranked as both the largest armed uprising since the Civil War and the largest labor revolt in U.S. history. This tumultuous time period is brought to vibrant, palpable life in “Rednecks,” Savannah author Taylor Brown’s propulsive work of historical fiction that vividly re-imagines this stormy slice of history...

https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/coal-miners-fight-for-their-rights-in-atlanta-authors-historical-novel-rednecks/A4RTNA7XNVDUNFU4ACYS4DUXO4/

The West Virginia-Kentucky border has been home to volatile events from the Hatfields and McCoy Feud through coal Mining and the beginning of unions. This story is set during the later, with miners caught in the middle of a reckless job, violent union conflicts and poverty. Fraught with violence that rivals the Wild West, Rednecks delves into the lives of these characters and their plight for safe working and living conditions amidst racism and poverty-ism. Interesting and at times confounding, the plot moves through these events with heart wrenching detail and a need for triumph.

What a fascinating read about the struggles of the 1920s coal miners. It was eye opening of the physical and mental struggles they went through to fight for basic protection and rights. I always appreciate a novel that makes me want to learn more about history. This was also a beautiful story of friendship and the power of a community coming together.
Thank you for the advanced reader copy. It was one I won’t forget.

I was blown away by this story! Growing up in the south I have heard bits and pieces about this part of our history, but had no idea the scoop until I read this book. I highly recommend reading this. You will be furious, heartbroken, and inspired.