Review of COAL BLACK LIES by Cindy K. Sproles

ABOUT THE BOOK

ISBN-13:9780825448232

Publication date:06/18/2024

Pages:288

Believing the bitter lies you tell yourself leaves little room for the sweetness of truth
Coal miner Joshua Morgan managed to do the impossible—he broke away from the stranglehold of the iron-fisted Barton family and the Company Store, to whom all the miners in the Appalachian Mountains are indebted. But it cost him the life of his young daughter, who was run down by a posse led by Thomas Barton while coming to collect Joshua’s payment to the store.
Five years later, a sweet but slow-witted young girl lands on his doorstep, and Joshua’s desire to protect her from the clutches of the Bartons increases his thirst for vengeance. Joshua sets out to discover where the girl came from in order to take down the Barton family once and for all.
His journey leads him to the truth about the day his daughter died, a reality he finds hard to accept. But when confronted by Thomas Barton himself, Joshua is forced to rethink the dark lies brewing in his heart. If he broke away, could Thomas have also? Despite his misgivings, can Joshua join forces with a man he once despised to free the miners from the tyrannical Barton family?

My Thoughts

This novel is one of the most heart-tugging books that I have ever read about the plight of the coal miners and those who took advantage of them for profit. Joshua and Raney escaped the life of coal mining and took up farming but not before they lost their beloved daughter Anna to one of the cold-hearted Bartons who owned the mining operation. Joshua is eaten up with grief and bitterness as well as the need for revenge, but a small child leads him in a new direction. Once they find Aughtie wandering their property, they vow to keep her safe from the Bartons and anyone else who might seek to harm her. The portrayal of the characters is realistic and dynamic as they undergo changes in heart and mind thanks to the example of the child who has a mental deficiency but whose simple love and desire for peace and forgiveness stirs everyone around her to do better than they thought possible. Along with his good friend Clive, Joshua comes up with a plan to overthrow the power of the Bartons, but the danger is real and the lives lost are heartbreaking. This is a story of resilience, determination, and the power of change and forgiveness on a small mining community. It is also the story of family and how family is more than blood kin. Finally, it is the story of survival in spite of overwhelming odds and evil that is all-encompassing. I enjoyed the story, especially the realistic dialogue and details of everyday life for the miners and their families. The story was paced just right for the story that was unfolding, methodically painting the need for change and the power that one family held over hundreds of others because of a company store and the greedy quest for black gold. The fact that Aughtie is a child with what we know as Down’s Syndrome makes the story even more gut-wrenching as her understanding of what is happening is more clear than that of most of the adults in charge of her care. My favorite character was Joshua, a man who went from desperation for revenge to dependence on God’s help to find justice for the miners. With multiple layers in the plot and in the lives of the characters, this is an epic novel that captivated me from the beginning and held me enthralled until the satisfying conclusion.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cindy Sproles is an author and speaker. She is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries and the cowriter of the popular He Said, She Said Devotions written with her cofounder, Eddie Jones. She is a novelist and best-selling author. Cindy’s devotions and articles are published in Christian newspapers across the eastern seaboard, including having been used to represent legislature for the protection of the elderly. She is a speaker to women’s conferences addressing not only the heart of women but also their biblical responsibilities to their families. As a teacher and speaker for Christian Writers Conferences, Cindy teaches writing skills and how to write placing God in the forefront. She is a contributing author to CBN.com and is the Executive Editor for www.christiandevotions.us and a freelance editor for Ironstream Media. Cindy has served in the past as an acquisitions editor and also a managing editor for publishers and she now uses that experience to mentor and coach new writers through her mentoring service, WRAMS (Write Right Author Mentoring Service) she shares with Lori Marett. She is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference, held each February at the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center, Asheville, NC. She is a certified life coach and mentor, an eldercare specialist, and a special needs advocate. Cindy is an Appalachian-born and raised mountain girl, and her novels strive to show life in the mountains during the1800’s. Cindy is a best-selling, award-winning novelist with her books having been named Novel of the Year multiple times. She is the mother of four adult sons and lives in the mountains of East Tennessee with her husband. Cindy can be contacted at www.cindysproles.com or by emailing cindyksproles@gmail.com.