Growing Up Hard in Harlan Country Author:G. C. Jones Burly men with stern expressions, coal dust on their callused ready hands, and Christian values in their hearts settled the mountains of Appalachia over a century ago. G.C. "Red" Jones, a determined boy from Harlan County, Kentucky, found himself in the company of these "true mountain men" in the early 1900s. After being thrown out of his home w... more »ithout money or food, Jones set out to prove his independence and strength against the backdrop of the Coal Wars, Great Depression, and World War II. Although his encounters were often difficult and his adventures unsettling, Jones classic memoir, Growing Up Hard in Harlan County, depicts an unexpectedly rewarding way of life. Jones found joy in family life and comfort in the kindness of strangers as he fought to get work, struggled to care for his loved ones, and vowed to represent the rights of coal miners in Washington. Despite the poverty and strife that frequently characterized the region, Jones memoir is suffused with gratitude and pride for a rich life in Appalachia.« less