To Make My Bread

This classic novel, written in the midst of the Great Depression, translates the themes of Balzac to a Southern Appalachian setting. Lumpkin traces the path of the McClure family as they move from living as poor bootleggers in the mountains to living in a mill town, earning a pittance as factory workers. The McClures are navigating the treacherous path of industrialization without a safety net, even as the entire country reels with the effects of the Depression. Lumpkin weaves a story in poetic mountains speech, moving through powerful religious experiences, through lawless love, and reaching a tremendous climax in a mill strike waged with all the desperation of a life and death struggle. Without literary tricks or devices she achieves tremendous emotional effects through sincerity and realism. This Classic Story, Based On The Gastonia Textile Strike Of 1929, Follows A Family Of Appalachian Mountaineers Who Find Themselves Drawn To A Mill Town Near Their Family Plot After Suffering Great Economic Adversity. Originally Published In 1932, The Tale Provides Keen Insights On A Pivotal Moment Of American History.