October 10, 2019
Annie Clements is called “America’s Joan of Arc”
The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell
Genre/Categories: Historical Fiction, Michigan, Mining, Activism, Biographical, Union
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
My Summary:
In July of 1913, twenty-five-year-cold Annie Clements has seen enough of the unfair working conditions in the mining town of Calumet, Michigan and decides it’s time to fight for a change. The men who work in the copper mines endure long hours, dangerous conditions, and low wages. Annie organizes and encourages the women to support a strike, but she also faces possible imprisonment, her husband’s anger, and personal threats. The Women of the Copper Country is a fictionalized account of the courageous efforts of women to organize a strike in the early history of the labor movement.
Activist Annie Clements 1915 (photo source: Wikipedia)
My Thoughts:
“There’s no progress in the world if we all just keep our heads down and only do what’s good and proper in our tiny corner of it.”
“We plant the seeds of justice, and justice will rise out of this muck someday.”
Writing: The Women of the Copper Country is well researched, beautifully written, and engaging. We are transported to time and place and are confronted with the circumstances of life in this mining town. The writing causes me to ponder what I would do in their situation. The perspective in the story definitely represents the plight of the miners and supports the labor movement. Overall, the story’s tone struck me as bleak and sad. The author wants us to feel the despair.
Characters: Each character is well-drawn and memorable. During the reading, I felt compelled to google Annie and learn more about her life. The mine owner and executives are characterized in the worst possible way. It’s obvious that the author sympathizes with the workers in this story! Even though the characters are interesting, I didn’t feel a strong connection with them (which affected my star rating).
Recommended: I recommend The Women of the Copper Country for fans of well-written and well-researched historical fiction, for those who are interested in the history of the labor movement in Michigan, for readers looking for stories about courageous and independent women, and for book clubs.
Content Warning: overall bleak and sad tone; one tragic event near the end of the story involves the death of children
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Women of the Copper Country Information
Meet the Author, Mary Doria Russell
Mary Doria Russell has been called one of the most versatile writers in contemporary American literature. Her novels are critically acclaimed, commercial successes. They are also studied in literature, theology and history courses in colleges and universities across the United States. Mary’s guest lectures have proved popular from New Zealand to Germany as well as in the U.S. and Canada.
QOTD:
Happy Reading Book Buddies!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
In Book News…
Controversy over the new Jojo Moyes book.
Sharing is Caring
Thank you for visiting and reading today! I’d be honored and thrilled if you choose to enjoy and follow along (see subscribe or follow option), promote, and/or share my blog. Every share helps us grow.
Find me at:
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Pinterest
***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.
Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
Book Cover and author photo are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.
What an interesting article about the Richardson and Moyes books. I recently bought a copy of of the Richardson one, even though I am a pretty big fan of Moyes, her new one didn’t stand out to me. I honestly didn’t realize the two were so similar. After reading the article and the direct comparisons, it’s kind of shocking.
It is shocking! The Richardson book is excellent (tied for my fav of the year)….I don’t think I’ll read the Moyes book. Thanks for commenting!
Sounds intriguing!
Yes! It’s interesting and memorable!
[…] 4 Stars. Well written story of activism. My full review here. […]
[…] Genre: Historical Fiction ***UPDATE: 4 Stars. Compelling story of activism. Full Review Here. […]
[…] you enjoy Rust, you might also enjoy The Women of Copper Country (historical […]
[…] My Summary: “In July of 1913, twenty-five-year-cold Annie Clements has seen enough of the unfair working conditions in the mining town of Calumet, Michigan and decides it’s time to fight for a change. The men who work in the copper mines endure long hours, dangerous conditions, and low wages. Annie organizes and encourages the women to support a strike, but she also faces possible imprisonment, her husband’s anger, and personal threats. The Women of the Copper Country is a fictionalized account of the courageous efforts of women to organize a strike in the early history of the labor movement.” My Review. […]
[…] My Summary: “A journey to find safety, love, and home….During the Great Depression, four orphans escape from the Lincoln School in Minnesota, an unhappy and perilous home/institution for Native American children where they had little food, harsh punishments, and suffered abuse. This quartet of miserable children consists of rebellious, free-spirited, and harmonica-playing Odie; his responsible and conscientious older brother Albert; their best friend and Native American, Mose; and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy. The foursome makes their escape in a canoe down the Gilead River toward the Mississippi in search of a safe place to call home and people to love them. They become found family to each other and survive encounters with all types of people.” My This Tender Land review. […]
[…] In 2020, I decided to systematically revisit my older review posts and update them. On Thursdays, I’ll be re-sharing a few of these great reads. Today, I’m re-sharing a compelling story of the labor movement, The Women of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell. […]
I just discovered the other comment link, hugely helpful!
I’m glad.