Rusted Rails Book Review

"Rusted Rails" based in 1928, resurrects the now abandoned coal-mining town of Wilder, Tennessee. Life in these towns held little promise for the future. One family, that of David and Jenny Hughes, sought to keep their son out of the mines. Their plan was, however, jeopardized by David's untimely death and by Jenny's discovery that she was carrying her late husband's unborn child. With few options, Jenny chose abortion. And so begins a gritty tale that tells of Jenny's rescue from the dire consequences of her decision

My Review:
3.5, rounded up to 4 stars

I'm not normally a big historical fan, but after reading two of Jones' other books, I decided to give this one a try as well. I have to give Mr. Jones some major kudos, he picks some of the most random and most controversial topics to write about, and does it well.

I was curious to see how he would portray Jenny's decision to have an abortion, and while I might not agree with her decision, the way it was handled, and the way that Jones wrote about this time period was astounding and eye-opening. This was before Roe vs. Wade, a time of backroom abortions that could and often did go horribly awry. Seeing what Jenny went through, and her reasoning was powerful and made me tear up at times. Jones did a great job portraying Jenny and in bringing the struggles of women like Jenny during that period of time to life for me, the reader.

While the book started slow for me, and lagged a bit at times, I was drawn in. Once the action started happening, I couldn't stop reading. Plus, not only was the plot and the writing good, but the author did his research. I felt like I was in the 1920s, dealing with the Mob and struggling like Jenny was. I felt such a connection to these characters, who were fleshed out and so human, I could see them existing in real life.

While this book does deal with heavy subject matter and can get violent and even disheartening at times, it was still a fascinating read, and one that I highly recommend.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*