Overview
Muriel by Charles Hays
This book contains the story of a wise, wealthy, and beautiful woman who was a coal baroness of the Eastern Kentucky coal fields. There were many coal barons but, there was only one baroness, and further, she was a direct descendant to Elijah Combs, the original settler of Hazard, Kentucky, and Perry County. So she had a pedigree and a bloodline that no other woman could ever possess. This particular lineage was of great assistance to her when she attempted to cross certain lines or class boundaries. And cross them she did. In most business deals, her natural beauty was her greatest advantage in doing business with men. At that time, she was the only woman who owned vast holdings of Black Gold and native lumber. She was very successful at getting the best prices for her products.
