A fascinating and interesting read! I read a fiction book some time ago called Flanagan's Run in which one of the protagonists was from the coal mining area in the Appalachians. Lament originates in Pennsylvania where the Irish coal miners decide to organize in the hope of improving mining conditions for the miners. Miners worked in poor, poor conditions. They lived in mere shacks with dirt floors, no insulation and if they were lucky a window. In winter the cold sifted through every crack and opening. They were forced to scrounge coal from the slag heaps to heat these hovels. They had to buy from the company stores where prices were twenty percent above that of other stores and if they did not they lost their jobs. Wages were determined arbitrarily and miners were let go for minor offenses. When a miner was killed or injured there was no help for his family. Unfortunately, the organized Irish, known as the Molly Maguires, became as ruthless as management. This is their story and the story of an Irishman who infiltrated the organization to bring it down. Good, good read.
A somewhat historical account of the rise and fall of the Irish group called The Molly Maguires. The Molly Maguires took law into their own hands, trying to find justice for miners and their family who were poorly treated. This book tells of the Molly Maguires group and The Pinkerton Spy that brought them down.
I knew the basics about the Molly Maguires. I also knew of rumors that my family helped The Pinkerton Spy hide. My great grandparents and grandparents on my father's side grew up in the Pottstown area called St. Clair. I think while reading it I was a little hopeful that I would see a familiar last name connected to me but... I did not. The book did mention many names, so many that I got confused at who was who.
Most of book was... pretty boring. I kept comparing it to the beginning of the bible. Just listing this person did this and this other person did that. I feel like the most emotional moment was at the end of the book where some Molly Maguires were hung.
I had hoped for more from this book but I think most of it went over my head or my eyes gazed over no matter how many times I read the same spot. I think that the reason I did not like a lot of the book is because of the author's "voice". For a book with so much death and violence, it seemed very slow and boring.
I knew the basics about the Molly Maguires. I also knew of rumors that my family helped The Pinkerton Spy hide. My great grandparents and grandparents on my father's side grew up in the Pottstown area called St. Clair. I think while reading it I was a little hopeful that I would see a familiar last name connected to me but... I did not. The book did mention many names, so many that I got confused at who was who.
Most of book was... pretty boring. I kept comparing it to the beginning of the bible. Just listing this person did this and this other person did that. I feel like the most emotional moment was at the end of the book where some Molly Maguires were hung.
I had hoped for more from this book but I think most of it went over my head or my eyes gazed over no matter how many times I read the same spot. I think that the reason I did not like a lot of the book is because of the author's "voice". For a book with so much death and violence, it seemed very slow and boring.
