The Coal Tattoo
The Coal Tattoo by Silas House is a poignant exploration of sisterhood set in World War II-era rural Kentucky. Published by Blair in 2020, this edition spans 368 pages and is presented in English. The narrative follows twenty-two-year-old Easter and her teenage sister Anneth, who, after losing their parents at a young age, must navigate the complexities of life together. As Easter immerses herself in the Pentecostal Holiness church and its music, Anneth seeks solace in the vibrant yet tumultuous world of honky-tonks, raising questions about the strength of their bond amidst their differing paths.
Readers will find a rich and moving story that delves into themes of family life and the struggles of women in a small-town setting. Silas House’s lucid prose captures the voices of the sisters, offering insights into their lives and the challenges they face. This novel is part of a beautiful new paperback edition that includes two other works by House, creating a collective narrative that reflects life in coal country. The intertwining stories provide a deeper understanding of the characters and their environment, making it a significant addition to the literary landscape of Southern fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
In World War II-era rural Kentucky, twenty-two-year-old Easter and Anneth, her teenaged sister, lose their parents young, so they must raise each other. Easter finds her life in the Pentecostal Holiness church and its music, while Anneth dances and drinks in less-than-holy honky-tonks. Will the differences in their young lives and in their very natures tear them apart or will the bond of the sisters prevail? In lucid prose with an ear for the voice of the sisters’ time and place, Silas House brings readers a rich and moving story of coal country.
This novel was named The Appalachian Book of the Year, and was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics Circle Prize.
Blair brings this novel into a beautiful new paperback edition, along with two other Silas House novels, Clay’s Quilt and A Parchment of Leaves. The three novels, which share a common setting and some characters, are companion novels. They may be read individually, in any order, but collectively, they form a rich tableau of life in rural mountain Kentucky in the last century.
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