The Mine Wars

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents The Mine Wars by Steve Watkins, read by Will Tulin.

For fans of Steve Sheinkin and Deb Heiligman, a riveting true story of the West Virginia coal miners who ignited the largest labor uprising in American history.

In May of 1920, in a small town in the mountains of West Virginia, a dozen coal miners took a stand. They were sick of the low pay in the mines. The unsafe conditions. The brutal treatment they endured from mine owners and operators. The scrip they were paid—instead of cash—that could only be used at the company store.

They had tried to unionize, but the mine owners dug in. On that fateful day in May 1920, tensions boiled over and a gunfight erupted—beginning a yearlong standoff between workers and owners.

The miners pleaded, then protested, then went on strike; the owners retaliated with spying, bribery, and threats. Violence escalated on both sides, culminating in the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in United States history.

In this gripping narrative nonfiction book, meet the resolute and spirited people who fought for the rights of coal miners, and discover how the West Virginia Mine Wars paved the way for vital worker protections nationwide. More than a century later, this overlooked story of the labor movement remains urgently relevant.

Critics Review

A well-researched account of an essential historical account of the U.S. labor movement. Highly recommended for middle school readers and beyond.
School Library Journal, starred review
West Virginia, the Mountain State, is also historically known for both coal mining and Appalachian poverty. Watkins explores the nexus between them in this overlooked chapter in the history of the labor movement.
The Horn Book
[A] Relevant and enlightening read.
Publishers Weekly
Readers will likely never have heard of this piece of union history--the telling of it for a teen audience is long overdue, and it is unfortunate that it remains sharply relevant today.
BCCB
A gritty, bloody tour of American history that's absent from most students' textbooks . . . Compelling.
Booklist
In this meticulously researched treatise, Watkins compellingly details the struggles for union recognition--as well as violent battles, courtroom dramas, near-victories, and devastating losses--while providing clear, detailed information about people on both sides and using photos, newspaper articles, and quotes to great advantage. . . Fascinating and powerful.
Kirkus Review

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