Saturday's Daughter

Book excerpt: One of ten children born to a coal-mining family in Harlan County, Kentucky ("Bloody Harlan") in the turbulent 'Twenties, Audrey Richards Lowery was a prime example of the old saying, "Saturday's child must work for a living." From the time she was 11 years old, she worked to help feed her brothers and sisters, then to support herself and her twin sons---and often her husband as well. She experienced unbelievable hardships, even violence, but met life's vicissitudes with hard work, honesty, and love. She describes an era in Kentucky's history and a way of life that few people today can even imagine. She witnessed some of the frightening troubles that attended the founding of the miners' union. She gives details of a notorious sex murder committed by her brother-in-law, who continued to live with the family after spending only two years in prison. She goes on to tell about her life in Indiana, Tennessee, and Ohio and specifies names and places in those areas that will evoke memories for many readers.. Now an 86-year-old widow, legally blind and confined to a wheelchair, Audrey lives near her sons in Celina, Ohio, but still maintains her indomitable spirit and her sense of humor. Her story is surprising...sometimes SHOCKING...yet ultimately inspiring, and will entertain you to the end. The book is written in her own words; you'll be amazed and amused by the way she tells it!