Barbara Kingsolver’s Holding the Line is the true account of courage and solidarity of the women who stood strong during the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983.
At the time, the now bestselling author of Demon Copperhead, was a scientific writer and spent her weekends as a freelance journalist. Then she landed the assignment to cover the Phelps Dodge mine strike. Barbara’s firsthand experience of the strike transformed into a year-long commitment to documenting the voices of the miners’ wives, sisters and daughters who fought against powerful corporate forces.
With empathy and clarity, Barbara captures the raw emotion and determination of these women as they endure harassment, financial hardship and intense social pressure, discovering their own strength along the way.
She stood with the miners and their families, and her historical record is a powerful reflection on how the political and personal intersect in the lives of ordinary people. It’s a compelling read for those interested in social justice, labour rights and the tenacity of the human spirit!
Barbara Kingsolver is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and lives with her family on a farm in southern Appalachia, USA. Follow Barbara Kingsolver online.
Reviewer: Andrea Molloy
Faber