Holding the Line Pb - Softcover

Kingsolver

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0875461565 ISBN 13: 9780875461564

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 1989

Synopsis

Holding the Line, Barbara Kingsolver's first non-fiction book, is the story of women's lives transformed by an a signal event. Set in the small mining towns of Arizona, it is part oral history and part social criticism, exploring the process of empowerment which occurs when people work together as a community. Like Kingsolver's award-winning novels, Holding the Line is a beautifully written book grounded on the strength of its characters.

Hundreds of families held the line in the 1983 strike against Phelps Dodge Copper in Arizona. After more than a year the strikers lost their union certification, but the battle permanently altered the social order in these small, predominantly Hispanic mining towns. At the time the strike began, many women said they couldn't leave the house without their husband's permission. Yet, when injunctions barred union men from picketing, their wives and daughters turned out for the daily picket lines. When the strike dragged on and men left to seek jobs elsewhere, women continued to picket, organize support, and defend their rights even when the towns were occupied by the National Guard. "Nothing can ever be the same as it was before," said Diane McCormick of the Morenci Miners Women's Auxiliary. "Look at us. At the beginning of this strike, we were just a bunch of ladies."

About this title

Review

"The women tell remarkable stories of their lives and actions. . . . This book pays powerful tribute to their resolve and passion for economic justice." Publishers Weekly" "Like Kingsolver's fiction, Holding the Line is a beautifully written book grounded on the strength of its characters only this time the characters are real." Journal of the Southwest" "Holding the Line is both clear and emotional, the story of women who try to get a fair shake in their workplace and realize they can stop at nothing short of control over their entire lives. This is a report from the trenches of where the political meets the personal." John Sayles"

Synopsis

Novelist Barbara Kingsolver began her writing career with "Holding the Line". It is the story of how women's lives were transformed by an 18-month strike against the Phelps-Dodge Copper Corporation. Set in the small mining towns of Arizona, the story is partly oral history and partly social criticism, exploring the process of empowerment which occurs when people work together as a community.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0875461565
• ISBN 13: 9780875461564
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 213