The Regional Readers book group meets Tuesday, August 31 in the JSF Conference Room. Coffee and conversation at 2:00 pm; book discussion at 2:30 pm. The book group is open to all and new members are always welcome. We encourage suggestions for the 2021 reading list.
The August selection is The Scotia Widows: Inside Their Lawsuit Against Big Daddy Coal by Gerald M. Stern. On March 9, 1976, a violent explosion, fueled by high concentrations of methane gas and coal dust, ripped through the Scotia mine in the heart of eastern Kentucky. The blast killed 15 miners who were working more than 3 miles underground; 2 days later, a second explosion took the lives of 11 rescue workers. For the miners’ surviving family members, the loss of their husbands, fathers, and sons was only the beginning of their nightmare. In The Scotia Widows, Stern, a groundbreaking litigator, recounts the epic 4-year legal struggle waged by the widows in the aftermath of the disaster. Stern shares a story of loss, scandal, perseverance, and the plaintiffs’ fight for justice against the titanic forces of “Big Daddy Coal.” The Scotia Widows portrays in gripping detail young women deciding to pursue a landmark legal campaign against powerful corporate interests and the judge who protected them. It is a critically important and timeless story of ordinary people who took a stand and refused to give up hope for justice.
The Regional Readers book group meets Tuesday, August 31 in the JSF Conference Room. Coffee and conversation at 2:00 pm; book discussion at 2:30 pm. The book group is open to all and new members are always welcome. We encourage suggestions for the 2021 reading list.
The August selection is The Scotia Widows: Inside Their Lawsuit Against Big Daddy Coal by Gerald M. Stern. On March 9, 1976, a violent explosion, fueled by high concentrations of methane gas and coal dust, ripped through the Scotia mine in the heart of eastern Kentucky. The blast killed 15 miners who were working more than 3 miles underground; 2 days later, a second explosion took the lives of 11 rescue workers. For the miners’ surviving family members, the loss of their husbands, fathers, and sons was only the beginning of their nightmare. In The Scotia Widows, Stern, a groundbreaking litigator, recounts the epic 4-year legal struggle waged by the widows in the aftermath of the disaster. Stern shares a story of loss, scandal, perseverance, and the plaintiffs’ fight for justice against the titanic forces of “Big Daddy Coal.” The Scotia Widows portrays in gripping detail young women deciding to pursue a landmark legal campaign against powerful corporate interests and the judge who protected them. It is a critically important and timeless story of ordinary people who took a stand and refused to give up hope for justice.
