Johnny McCarthy is a third generation coal miner whose father and grandfather died in the coal mines of Ireland. Johnny digs coal for the Stone Mountain Coal Company in Matewan, West Virginia in the early 1920s. He is staunchly devoted to his family and the coal company based on the loyalties his father has taught him. But in W.Va, he faces the challenge of union organizing, workplace violence, and the difficulty of providing enough food and clothing for his family. In addition, he deals on a daily basis with the dangers of the mine, including explosion, cave-ins, darkness, and rats. And don't forget the low pay in scrip along with the company store, the company preacher, the company school, and the company doctor. The coal miner's son is caught up in the historic choices he must make between hopeless servitude and the life-threatening dangers of joining the union.
"Johnny McCarthy, A Coal Miner's Son" is the story of one miner's adventure that takes him beyond the Matewan Massacre to finding out who he really is. No dull passages here. This book is raw, gritty, and filled with suspense. Truly hard to put down.
