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missyjohnson's review against another edition
3.0
sad stories of cotton/textile workers in Jacksonville, AL. but also stories of proud, loyal and hard working folks, willing to work for slave wages and in dangerous conditions in order to take care of their family. I have enjoyed Rick Bragg's stories as they take place where my mother grew up.
beachbookbabe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
bookrescuer's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoy Rick Bragg, and I love stories from the historical south, but these stories ended up having a repetitive feel. In no way do I want to diminish the suffering and horrific circumstances surrounding the cotton mills, but after so many stories of missing limbs and digits, I really wanted to hear something more. 3.5 stars.
nicolaspratt's review against another edition
4.0
Sad, emotional, real, Bragg powerfully captures the reality that many face in the rust-belt of America. Well worth the read for anyone who is interested in the reality of the heartland of America, and how it's people and places have been taken advantage of over the last 100 years, solely for money.
smojarbs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
The audio book is read by the author. I think it's important to hear these stories as they are meant to be heard.
bcbartuska's review against another edition
4.0
Not my favorite of Rick Bragg’s, but his reading voice could pretty much have a phone book to work with and I’d enjoy it, so… there’s that.
mamaorgana80's review against another edition
5.0
A sad and important American story. Prose that reads like poetry.
belacbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Another great read from Bragg. It was interesting to see stories of the millers—so central to his life’s story—from the genesis of the mill until the final piece of it was sold.
yangyvonne's review against another edition
3.0
In 2001, a mill that had been open for what seemed like forever closed its doors. The people who had worked there in Alabama, for generations, had no idea what they were supposed to do for work now. The author, rather than tell tales only of woe, took the many stories of those who came through the mill and painted a picture of who they were and how the mill came to define the town. We learn of the eccentric original mill owner and the shacks he built and "rented" to employees, the young black girl who held the record for hand-picking cotton, the man who lost his arm to the machines, and the many who developed brown-lung from the exposure to the microscopic particles (pre-air filtration regulation), but kept on working as long as they could. It is sad for almost all of them, but a real American story that needs telling.
It's interesting that the author came from this town ("escaped") yet chose to tell this story. I'm sure part of it comes from his brother losing his job but finding a better/safer now in another town such that the tone is not bitter. I cannot imagine listening to story after story of parents who died of brown lung or were fired when they could no longer work because of the ailments brought on by the work itself. It is hard to see these people have to lose their jobs to third world countries who do the work so cheaply and these workers were never "rich", usually just making enough to get by. How can this really be 2001 and not decades earlier that people are living in this kind of circumstance? What lingers is what became of those who didn't find other work?
It's interesting that the author came from this town ("escaped") yet chose to tell this story. I'm sure part of it comes from his brother losing his job but finding a better/safer now in another town such that the tone is not bitter. I cannot imagine listening to story after story of parents who died of brown lung or were fired when they could no longer work because of the ailments brought on by the work itself. It is hard to see these people have to lose their jobs to third world countries who do the work so cheaply and these workers were never "rich", usually just making enough to get by. How can this really be 2001 and not decades earlier that people are living in this kind of circumstance? What lingers is what became of those who didn't find other work?