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Richmond, Virginia, attorney W. Jeff Barnes grew up in coal country, and his novel about the early 20th century efforts to unionize the coalfields gives names and faces to those who lived there.
Photo Above: Mingo by W. Jeff Barnes. Little Star, 2021. 367pp.
Mingo tells the story of two brothers: one who went at 14 into the mines with his father; the other sent to a wealthy Richmond relative “until things settle down” after the death of his mother.
Missing his brother and father, Durwood Matney slips into the coal yards of Richmond to look for a Paint Lick scattertag from the mine where his brother and father dig coal, connecting with boys gleaning coal from the railroad beds. At the same time, he learns how to dress, play sports and operate in the moneyed world of Monument Avenue.
Durwood’s brother Bascom leaves the mines and hops a train to Richmond to reunite with Durwood and his mother’s family. And for a while, it appears that both boys have found safety and security.
The story of how both boys turn into men—one hardened by World War I and the other by the escalating West Virginia mine wars—is full of twists and turns, some more credible than others. Barnes has done his homework researching the horror of the miners’ revolt and the Battle of Blair Mountain, the event that’s called the largest civil uprising since the Civil War.
Barnes clearly loves the historical facts and figures of the Battle of Blair Mountain, sometimes at the expense of the fictional characters who should tell the story. But read “Mingo” and be glad for the truth told about a war that continues to be fought.
Mingo by W. Jeff Barnes. Little Star, 2021. 367pp.
The story above first appeared in our September / October 2023 issue.
