Above the Slate: An Appalachian Love Story

When Neva and Grady marry, she dreams of owning their own home, while he dreams of organizing his fellow coal miners to fight for their rights. Above the Slate follows the twists and turns of the couple’s life together—their birthing and grieving, their hoping and hiding from the law. Throughout it all, Neva and Grady remain committed to different, often conflicting dreams.

A down to earth account, Above the Slate is told in the plain and earthy voices of a husband and wife who struggle against the harsh realities of Appalachian coal country in the 1930s. Imprisonment and escape, the death of one child, the birth of three, and a tragic mine explosion give the story structure; an honest portrayal of family relationships gives it heart.