I have in-laws that work and worked in the mines around Hazard, Kentucky, and the way that the mines affect everything holds true in the real world. The characters in this book are very real to me. They actually sound like some of the people I know down there. Many DO turn to drinking and hanging out in the bars at a young age. What else IS there to do down there sometimes? I can't just leave these characters hanging as unfinished business. I need to read the rest of this book and see where their lives lead them. I feel that if I don't, they may get stuck in the sad, hard situations they are in right now. I'm definitely fished in!
