Copper Divide chronicles one woman’s story of friendship tested by a society torn apart by a labor strike that resulted in the 1913 Italian Hall Disaster.
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“…vivid descriptions touch the senses and paint a picture of life during that distant era… Readers will find themselves rooting for each main character, hoping they dare to do what is right… a compelling read.” — Reader’s Favorite (5-star review)
“…authenticity in every detail from the living conditions of striking miners’ families, the danger and hardship of working 10 hours in a mine, and the cruelty and power of the mine owners. The characters are well drawn and believable.”
— Michigan in Books
In 1913 a massive and violent copper miners’ strike has split the once peaceful community surrounding Calumet, Michigan. Thousands are protesting and rioting in the streets. The National Guard is sent in and stays for months.
Hannah Weinstein is a Jewish merchant’s daughter, certain that the interruption of her college classes is the worst that the strike will bring to her relatively comfortable life. Her Finnish friend Nelma, however, is married to a striker, and places herself on the front lines of the dispute.
When a train pulls in with a hundred scab miners, tensions escalate, and two of the scabs are shot. Their murder compels Hannah to join a Citizens’ Alliance opposing the strike – and with it, Nelma. As the strike grows more and more deadly, Hannah and Nelma must find a way to reconcile and end the conflict without further violence, or their town – and their friendship – will be destroyed forever.
beth kirschner 