The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell

Few people outside of Michigan know anything about our Upper Penninsula (UP). As a matter of fact, a recent Mt. Dew ad featuring a map of America drew Michigander's ire when the UP was colored to be part of Wisconsin!

The UP has its own peninsula jutting into the deep inland ocean of Lake Superior, the Kewanee Penninsula. And a short distance from the top of that arm is Calumet, Michigan. Today it is a village of about 800 people. But in the late 19th c when the UP was a center of copper mining there were 40,000 souls there.

The copper was mined for 120 years. It was break-backing, dangerous work. Waves of immigrants found their way to Michigan's lumber and mining industries. The UP was particularly attractive to immigrants from Finland but drew from across Europe. These unskilled laborers were put to use with a sledgehammer and shovel, and cheaper than mules, used to push the loaded cars.

Mary Doria Russell's new novel The Women of the Cooper Country recreates Calumet in 1913 in rich detail, drawing on actual people and events.

Women and children of Calumet, MI

Called the Paris of the North, Calumet had grown into a modern town, built by the wealth from the Calumet & Hecla copper mine. But profit-driven capitalism meant management rejected workers demands for a shorter workday, a living wage, and safe work conditions. A new drill allowed a miner to work alone instead of in pairs. It was cost-saving but put the men at higher risk.

Miner with a single-man drill, cost savings that came
with increased danger to the miners.

The workers debated unionizing. An unusual labor leader arose, Annie Clements, a miner's wife born in Calumet to Slovakian immigrants. She had seen too many families with maimed men and boys, too many funerals.

What is the price of copper? It was men's limbs and lives. It was men too tired to live, self-medicating with drink. It was widows and orphaned children. If the men would not organize, the women would lead the way.

Journalists made Annie the Joan of Arc of America.

Annie

Annie is helped by Eva, who over the nine months of the strike grows from a dreamy girl to a woman. Nationally known union organizers come to help, including 'the miner's angel' Mother Jones and the Socialist labor organizer Ella Bloor.

The mine is under the management of John McNaughton, and Russell's portrait of him as a cold-hearted capitalist fixated on the bottom line is chilling. McNaughton is a xenophobe whose anti-immigrant slant hardens his heart even more. In his view, Europe is gleefully exporting its 'wretched refuse' to America, and Washington has done nothing to stop the continual labor strikes across the nation. It won't happen here, he vows.

The novel had a slow start for me but picked up later. At times, I felt some distance from the events. A critical scene is off-screen when the emotional impact would have been greater through Annie's eyes. The story builds to a horrendous tragedy, describing a real event, with great emotional impact.

The changing role of women and their broadening choices is shown through the characters.  And there is romance, from infatuation and unhappy marriages to illicit affairs and true love.

It was interesting to learn more about this slice of Michigan history and the history of unionizing in Michigan.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The Women of the Copper Country
by Mary Doria Russell
Atria Books
Pub Date 06 Aug 2019
ISBN 9781982109585
PRICE $27.00 (USD)

The Quincy Mine 

Helen Korngold Diary: August 4-10, 1919

Helen Korngold, December 1919, New York City

Continuing to share Helen Korngold's 1919 diary, early August found Helen back home after her Colorado vacation.

August
Monday 4
Hung up clothes. Went to Darlene Young’s in evening. Clarence Hirsch went. Had a nice time. Tired.

Tuesday 5
All tired. Ironed until 3. Played at Aunt B[Beryl Fry] with kids. Home. Flora Siegfried came over in the evening. Talked a lot. Went to bed.

Wednesday 6
Lazy.

Thursday 7
Quite the same

Friday 8
Cleaned up. Temple. Met some nice people.

Saturday 9
Fooled around. Went over to Grandma’s – Driving in the evening.

Sunday 10
All-day picnic at [illegible, Pickers?] with Choral Club- had a wonderful time.

Helen's diary pages

NOTES:

Aug 5

Flora Siegfried (1890) on the 1900 St. Louis Census was at school, daughter of clothing merchant Joseph Siegfried (Austria/German-born in 1860) and his wife Fanny. Other siblings were Minnie, Jennie, and Celia. They had a servant Mary. By 1910 Flora was a bookkeeper. In 1920 Flora was still a bookkeeper and her sisters were stenographers, all employed in clothing manufacturing. By 1930 Joseph had passed and Flora was a stenographer still living at home.

*****

In the news:

August 10, 1919, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Dr. M. M. Madden, a "negro attorney" of Oklahoma City, OK, was a delegate to a conference at the Free Will Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Louis, MO, which proposed the creation of a "negro state" as a way to end race problems.


Page one article in August 10, 1919, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Solution of Negro Question




Perhaps less controversial was the battle of the cursives.

Baker Family WWI Memorabilia

My friend Bev Olson has a crate filled with family mementos. Treasures include handkerchiefs and Sweetheart Pillow tops and a flag and photographs from WWI.

Bev's grandfather Ross Baker, the man sitting in the chair in the photograph below, served in WWI.

He brought home a handkerchief and photos from France. You can see the photographs are not postcards, but are on thin photography paper that is curling on the sides.

On the back of the photos is a description written in pencil.

 Armistice Day

The ruins of Rheims Cathedral.

 Side view of the cathedral at Rheims.

 The Church at Corcy.

 Soisson Cathedral.

 Place de la Concord, Paris, Armistice Day.

 General Pershing's car, Dec. 14, 1918.

 President Wilson's arrival in Paris. Dec. 14, 1918

 President's arrival in Paris.

 'Chow Time' postcard.

Ross Baker's son Donald Ross Baker, Bev's father, served in WWII. Donald's WWII Draft Registration card of 12/20/1945 shows he lived in Royal Oak, MI with his mother Tillie A. Baker. Donald was 24 years old, was 5' 11" and 145 pounds with blue eyes, brown hair, and light skin.

The photo below shows his unit.

He sent home Sweetheart Pillow cases.

 Bev even has one her father's U. S. Army Field Ration Dinners!

Of course, I had to do genealogy research on the Baker family.

I found the marriage record for Ross W. Baker and Tillie Doebler. They married November 23, 1920, in Royal Oak, MI.  Ross worked at an oil station and Tillie was an operator. It was the first marriage for both. The officient was Walter, F. Hetzel, and Hawley W. Hopp and Mrs. Hawley Hopp of Redford, MI were the witnesses.

The marriage record shows that Ross's parents were Herman Baker and Josephine Remley. 

The 1920 Census shows Herman Baker, 56 years old, was born in Canada to German parents. He immigrated to American in 1867 and was naturalized in 1889. Herman was a general carpenter. Josephine, 60 years old, was born in Michigan to German-born parents. Their son Ross W., age 32, was born in Michigan and worked as a carpenter.

I found a family tree on Ancestry.com showing Herman Baker b. 1862 in Canada and died 1934 in Royal Oak, MI, with wife Josephine F. Remley (1857-1931) and children Pearl (b. 1887), Minnie (b. 1893) and Roswell (b. 1888.) They had linked the 1910 Census showing Roswell Baker, age 20, working as a farm laborer, living with parents Herman and Josephine and above-named siblings. The tree shows Josephine's father Henry was born in Prussia and her mother Fredericka Ritter born in Mecklenburg, Germany.

Tillie's parents were William Doebler and Sophia Schrambeck or Schwanbeck, both born in Germany. An Ancestry.com family tree shows they also had children Charles (b. 1884), Winifred (b. 1887), and Frederick H. (b. 1891) along with Tillie Anna (1890-1970).

The 1930 Census shows Ross (40 years old), Tillie (40 years old), and Donald R. (8 years old) living in Royal Oak, MI. Ross was a WWI Veteran working as a truck driver. Their home was valued at $3,000. Ross and Tillie were both first-generation Americans; Ross's father was Canada English and his mother was born in Germany. Tillie's parents were born in Germany.

The 1940 Census shows Tillie, age 50, a housewife, and Donald, age 18, working as a clerk with a salary of $650.

Donald married Lavina Mintz on November 13, 1944, in Santa Anna, Orange Co, California. Lavina was born 1928 in Fredonia, North Dakota to Arndt Edwin Mints and Caroline Whittmeyer, and she died in 1983 in Royal Oak, MI. 

Her great-great-grandfather Ferdinand Mintz (Munz) family came from Bessarabia, Russia in 1890. Before that, the Munz family lived in West Prussia and another generation back in Rheinland-Pfalz. So, the family were Palatine Germans driven from their homeland, first into Poland/Prussia and then into Russia--like my husband's Bekofske ancestors. 

Donald passed in June 1986, in Clawson, MI.

Here is the Baker family tree:

First generation:

Herman Baker married Josephene Remley, daughter of Henry Remley

Second generation:

Herman and Josephene had child Ross W. Baker

Ross Baker married Tillie Doebler, daughter of William and Sophia Schrambeck

Third generation:

Ross and Tillie had son Donald Ross Baker

Donald Ross Baker married Lavina Minty, daughter of Arndt Edwin Mintz and Caroline Whittmeyer and great-grandaughter of Ferdinant Muntz.

Fourth generation:

Don and Lavina had daughter Beverly

WIP, TBR News

Like many quilters, I have multiple projects going on at once. Some in the design stage, some in the sewing stage, and some waiting for inspiration to know how to finish them. I have two with long-arm quilters as well.

I am trying to finish projects. And trying to check off as read books on my TBR shelf as part of NetGalley's #Reviewathon. 

I have conceded I am no longer able to quilt fast enough to keep up with my quilt tops. I just picked up a quilt from the long-arm quilter. It is BIG. The fabrics were from Dear Stella. Now to bind it off!

For a simple pattern, it was not easy for me. The pattern did not work for directional fabrics and I had to make hard decisions.

 the quilting

 The back

I have made four pillowcases and a throw pillow to go with the quilt. And I am making a throw with the scraps!

Here is my latest quilt top finish! I bought the pattern from Bunny Hill several years ago. When I saw this fabric collection from Connecting Threads it all came together in my head and I love the result. I left it with the long arm quilter today.

I caught up with Barbara Brackman's new block of the month Hospital Sketches on her blog Material Culture. I love applique so these are a joy to make. 

See Barbara's post on the project with photos from some of the marvelous quilters participating here.

I finished the just for fun and play quilt with the Jane Sassaman Folk Tales fabrics. My son loves it and it will go to him.

This little quilt includes an antique quilt block in the center. It will soon be on display at our local library.

I have been requested to make a table runner with this adorable print from JoAnne Fabrics.

The flu has been going around in my family. On my birthday we couldn't have a celebration so I treated myself to a trip to the bookstore and purchased The Overstory by Richard Powers and All the Lives We Ever Lived by Katherine Smyth. I have wanted to read The Overstory since it was a galley but wasn't able to get my hands on it. Smyth's book about reading Virginia Woolf is a good excuse to revisit To The Lighthouse.

I am currently reading

• Cold Warriors by Duncan White. I am learning more about the Cold War history than I ever imagined.
• A Polar Affair by Llyod Spencer Davis, an immensely readable and enjoyable history of the study of Penguins.
• The Long Call by Anne Cleeves, a new detective mystery series
• Threads of Life by Claire Hunter, how through history women have used needlework for self-expression and political power
• We Love Anderson Cooper by R. L. Maizes, a short story collection

I need to get moving for these are all books coming out in late August or September, along with Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petinah Gappah which I have not even started!

Then still on my shelf are the galleys for

• Adventure of the Peculiar Protocol by Nicholas Meyer, a new Sherlock Holmes mystery
• Inventing Tomorrow by Sarah Cole, about H. G. Wells
• Broke by Jodie Adams Kirschner, about the housing crisis in Detroit
• The Book of Science and Antiquities, a novel by Thomas Keneally
• A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler, a novel about racism
• Family Record by Patrick Modiano, a novel about how "history influences identity"
• Blow Out, in which Rachel Maddow takes on the fossil fuel industries

I won another book from LibraryThing

• Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights by Dovey Johnson Roundtree. I just started it--powerful prose and story!

I am still waiting for other LibraryThing wins: Falter by Bill McKibben, Archeology from Space by Sarah Parcak, Country by Michael Hughes, and Inland by Tea Obreht. I have been disappointed that these Early Reviewer wins from January, April, May, and June have not been fulfilled.

And from GoodReads I won

• America is Immigrants by Sara Novic

NetGalley is running a #Reviewathon to encourage readers to plow through those TBR lists. I need to get to work!

We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White

The members of SMASH believed it was better to die in honor than to live as their parents did..."~from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca While

How do we change society? Can we change society? Who are the 'good people' and can 'good people' do bad things for the right reason and still be 'good'? Can people really change?

I was interested in the questions posed by the novel.

The story begins in the early 1960s when two girls meet in a private women's college in the South and become best friends. Their rising awareness of social racism makes them question the values of their society. Decisions are made that take them in different directions. One girl works within the system while accepting the social expectations for a rising female lawyer. The other girl follows a charismatic radical into ever more violent protests and when she has lost everything she seeks out her old friend to help her return to society.

The novel is filled with historical detail and events. Medgar Evans and Fannie Lou Hamer, Bob Dylan and Dr. Strangelove, the murders of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman, "Hey! Hey! LBJ how many kids did you kill today" are mentioned.

It was very hard to follow Eve into the very dark place she ends up in. I nearly set the book aside as her life became quite disturbing. But I did pick it back up.

Babe, you opted out of a normal life a long time ago.~ from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White

Can we keep our pasts a secret? Can we completely change? In the end, Eve became the very person she had sought to avoid becoming. And yet--she still needed a man to guide her. Daniella may have 'sold out' and but she gives it up for important work that better fits her values.

I spent many years not thinking about the 1960s. The cultural and political changes that were the background of my teen years were too depressing to remember.

In 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated I was in Sixth Grade. By the time I graduated from high school in 1970 I had seen the murders of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the Viet Nam body count on the daily news, and the rise of the anti-war movement and hippie counter culture. Music went from I Want To Hold Your Hand to Sympathy for the Devil. The elegant full-skirted dresses became sheaths became Mod became Psychedelic became bare feet, bell bottom jeans, and T-shirts. Green Beret pins became iron crosses became Give Earth a Chance pinback buttons. The 1967 Detroit Riots happened a few miles down the road.

I was just trying to grow up, figuring out who I was, and the whole world was telling me to look elsewhere because things of real importance were going on. I resented that. I wanted to be allowed to just deal with my own stuff. Instead, I joined the Political Action Club and read the Detroit Free Press, Newsweek and Time instead of Seventeen.

But I never strayed from my core values. I knew who I was and what I wanted for myself. I felt that the character Eve lacked that internal compass.

Warren St. Clair was a charismatic and idealistic man who is also misogynistic and self-absorbed. Eve knows his reputation, but can't resist him, following him from place to place. When Warren escalates to violence against the system, Eve follows him underground.

Meanwhile, Daniella marries a 'reformed' Republican, a good man who believes that social change happens slowly. Daniella pushes the envelope as a lawyer, working twice as hard to break into the old-boy network.

Justice does not simply show up on it own, gliding in on the wings of platitudes and the promise of prayers. ~from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca Smith

In mid-age, both women shift, the radical Eva embracing safety and surety and marriage that brings prosperity, and the widowed conformist Daniella chucking it all for non-profit work helping men on death row.

The book could have ended here, but instead, we see how the women's decisions impact the next generation.

Eve and Danilla each have a daughter. Eve's daughter Anna has everything and more, dressing in Laura Ashley clothing and driving a new car. Daniella is financially well off, too, but she insists on a lifestyle in keeping with her values. Used clothing, no conspicuous consumption.

Daniella works and Eve is a housewife, so Daniella leaves her daughter Sarah with 'Aunt Eve' under the care of the maid. Sarah is envious of Anna's life and she worries that her mom is economically insecure.

Eve has a secret that is exposed. When Anna has learned the truth about her mother, it creates a rift.

There is an interesting theme on religion through the novel that is not central to the plot but takes enough space to show the author's concern.

Early in the novel Eve and Warren St. Clair and have a discussion about the value of the church in society. Warren believes the cathedral is a waste of space better used for affordable housing. Eve thinks there is nothing more useful than a church. Warren mentions the German Lutheran Church was complicit with the Nazis, and Eve retorts, not Bonhoeffer's church. Sure, Warren replies. But Bonhoeffer was executed by the state which proves the church either is complicit or martyrs.

Near the end of the novel Daniella and her daughter Sarah have a talk about religion. Eve has joined a right-wing evangelical church led by a charismatic preacher--still drawn to those charismatic men.

Sarah asks Daniella, what if one must hit 'rock bottom' to be saved? Daniella believes in the social gospel, God's will for "the reconciliation of all people" as opposed to God daming some and saving others.

But Sarah understands that her Aunt Eve is searching for stability and family. Daniella only sees that Eve jumps from one "dogma" to another.

Again, a juxtaposition between two choices arises. Is changing the world better than saving souls? Do we need to become completely powerlessness before we can accept God? Is doing justice and showing mercy the mark of walking humbly with one's God?

The book is summed up in one sentence:

We are all good people here, all trying to muddle through this the best we can. ~from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

We Are All Good People Here
by Susan Rebecca White
Atria Books
Pub Date 06 Aug 2019 
ISBN 9781451608915
PRICE $27.00 (USD)