BOOK REVIEW OF THE MOUNTAIN OF THE MINER AND THE LORD
Book Review of the Mountain, the Miner and the Lord
The book “The Mountain, The Miner and the Lord” was written by Harry Caudill. Harry was born in the United States of America in 1922. At his tender ages, he resided in Whitesburg, Kentucky. This is the same place where he died in 1990. Harry had a variety of discipline proficiencies ranging from being a historian to being an environmentalist. Apart from this, he was a lawyer as well as a legislator. “His wide knowledge in history enabled him to secure a teaching job at the University of Kentucky.”1At some point in his life, he started opposing some mining activities since he thought that these activities were harmful to people and the environment.
In addition to holding several discipline proficiencies, Harry was a famous writer who majored on the environment-related issues. This could be seen in his book “Night comes to the Cumberland” Many of his books also concerned the historical events that had occurred in a certain region. Harry had a library which many people see as his legacy. He came up with many inspiring quotes that are used even presently. Some of his quotes related to history while others related to the environment. He is respected by many authors and journalists for making important and inspiring contributions in various magazines in the United States of America. It is notable that his fame went beyond the borders of the country.
In the book “The Mountain, The Miner and the Lord,” the author focused on the activities that were undertaken by the residents of Appalachia. In this book, the main focus is on the people who live around the mountain.
The story focused on Kentucky, which was Harry’s living area. The county of Letcher consisted of people who engaged in various activities. For instance, there were people who engaged in farming while others worked in the homesteads as housewives. According to Harry, the knowledge regarding skills that were basic in nature was being eroded slowly. This was mainly due to the emergence of a culture which consisted of workers who were involved in assembly-making.
The story also captures how the mine owners were so brutal to the other mountain residents. It was probable that the mine owners earned more income than the farmers and housewives. For instance, some of the guards who worked in the mines were bullies who assaulted some residents of Letcher County. The book uses flashback to explain the past events that had occurred. The author explains a scenario where a miner had killed a guard in order to make his wife happy. Many reviewers have considered this to be ironical based on the fact that it is difficult for one to be happy just because of the death of another person. However, it turned out that the guard had mistreated many people and that is why many of them did not want to see him alive. “Wrath is integrated in this story to show how people were very angry with the guards who worked in the mines.”2
The story later focuses on Bad Wright, who was very determined to make a revenge of what the guards had done to the innocent people. He specifically wanted to revenge the torture of a certain woman that was made by the guards in the mine. In the book, it is argued that this woman was Wright’s pal. He later found a job as an officer who was involved in law enforcement.
The son of the miner who had killed another mine worker was perceived to be very human. Franklin Delano has been outlined by the author as being both human and compassionate. This therefore shows that the behavior of one man can be different from the behavior of his children. More so, he was seen to have good relationships with Bad. This is outlined at the point where Franklin visits Bad’s house. More humanity is seen from Franklin as he chats with Bad regarding earlier events that had occurred. However, he makes a ridiculous statement saying that he had seen Bad make love.
The word “Lord” referred to Cleon Calvert, who was a lawyer in the county. Cleon helped the innocent people in the society to win some cases. One good example is outlined in the case where a small boy was held for working for a truck which was carrying moonshine. “The boy had a poor background and was coming from Chicago”3. Cleon therefore helped the boy to escape severe punishment based on the boy’s argument that he did not know anything concerning the moonshine in the truck. The book explains that the boy had taken the job of driving the truck in order to feed his small brothers and to take care of his mother.
In conclusion, the book has acted as an inspiration to many global readers. The book has focused on Letcher County, which is familiar among the people of the United States of America. More so, the values outlined in the book are very similar to those of the mountain area of Letcher County. The most admirable thing about the book is that the author has used a lot of creativity that has made it so interesting to the readers. The introduction is so appealing, making the reader to stick to the rest of the story. Finally, this book is very important since it shows the readers the experience and the traditions of the people of Appalachian people. It therefore plays a great role in the integration of history in our education system.
Harry, M. The Mountain, the Miner, and the Lord, and Other Tales from a Country Law Office. Kentucky. The University Press of Kentucky, 1980.
Kenneth, R. Book Review: The Mountain, the Miner, and the Lord. Western Pennsylvania History, 2004.
