In 1967, when she was in the 9th grade and her sister in the 5th, and her brother in the 3th, Kathy Manley’s mother left their home in the Verdunville coal camp in Logan County, West Virginia. Kathy now had to care for her disabled father, who sometimes begged in the streets, and her siblings by herself. As the sub-title states, this is a memoir of extreme poverty and inspiring resilience. “Her story rings with vibrancy and truth. Highly recommended.” – Homer Hickam. “Kathy Manley’s compelling memoir ought to be required reading for every person in America today—especially every person in high school. Not a shred of sentimentality or self-pity mars this beautifully written account of an Appalachian childhood spent in deepest poverty, yet Manley’s narrative is neither pitiful nor sad; it is courageous and loving, filled with hope for the future. Read this book.” – Lee Smith.
Scott Depot, West Virginia: Mountain State Press, 2019. 245 pages with photos and an Introduction by Cat Pleska. Trade paperback.