Charity's Children The Tway It Was

It was my fortune to be the firstborn of my mountain mother and my coal mining father in an exciting time of transformation and awakening. My childhood began in Tway Mining Camp, a small state-of-the-art coal mining camp just outside Harlan Kentucky, nestled in the great Appalachian Mountains. My formative years were spent in "Tways." In addition to my unusual mother and talented father, I was nurtured by those who lived in "Upper Camp". They were black. They were family. N'Jenny, Tom Becker and Mz. Becker, Mary Margaret Rose Delight, Johnny Warren. I grew in " wisdom, stature and favor with God and man''. Did it really happen ? Yes, it did. Throughout this childhood were significant currents roiling: flu epidemic, tuberculosis, spinal meningitis, mine wars and Saturday nights with whiskey and guns. Also to be dealt with were the KKK and Communist Party. Pine Mountain Settlememt School, Berea College and good stron-spirited women with instinct for doing the right thing. Finally, as Hamlet said "there's a divinity that shapes our ends rough-hew them as we may". James L. Carter was 68 years old when he died of Black Lung from long years mining. Charity, my Mother who led us all with her religious comittment and adage that "cleanliness is nexzt to godliness, is a healthy 98 year old living in Atlanta Georgia.Kelly, Lois Carter is the author of 'Charity's Children The Tway It Was' with ISBN 9780977747801 and ISBN 0977747808.