Gone Home: Race and Roots through Appalachia by Karida L. Brown

Abstract

Dr. Karida L. Brown's book is a thoughtful journey from the Deep South to the coalfields of Kentucky and beyond. Reading it feels like you are sitting on the porch with your grandparents and your aunts and uncles as they regale you with stories of their growing-up years as you sip on homemade sweet tea. In this volume, Dr. Brown explores the lived experiences of Black women and men who grew up in coal country. The tri-city area of Lynch, Benham, [End Page 56] and Cumberland is located in Harlan County, a mountainous region in the southeastern corner of the state of Kentucky. Both Lynch and Benham are coal company towns.