Coal Tattoo, The

The Coal Tattoo BY SILAS HOUSE (ALGONQUIN BOOKS OF CHAPELHILL, $24.95)

Kentucky has quite an advocate in this native son. This Bluegrass State author's previous works-Clay's Quilt and A Parchment of Leaves-have brought Appalachia to life.

Silas House's latest novel continues to introduce his beloved land and the families who fight to protect it. We have met these characters in clay 's Quilt, but here they are younger: the impetuous, beautiful Anneth; her responsible sister, Easter; and other relatives and friends who work in the coal mining country of Black Banks.

Some characters wear coal tattoos, patches of coal buried in the skin after a cave-in-"a faint little hint of blue, like a permanent bruise.. .a sign of survival." The author brands the readers with a similarly indelible mark as we become enmeshed in the lives of these people; it's a badge to be worn proudly. WANDA MCKINNEY

Other Southern Reads

For more book reviews and to order these titles online, visit our Web site, southernliving.com/features.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Oct 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved