By Jen Forshey
Teaching Cleveland Program Coordinator
Rocky River High School Teacher
Although much of what Teaching Cleveland reads is directly connected to issues facing the city, this month we highlight the most recent book by Cleveland author, Mary Doria Russell, The Women of the Copper County. Born and raised in suburban Chicago, Mary Doria Russell moved to Cleveland in 1984 to become a Senior Clinical Instructor at the School of Dentistry at Case Western Reserve University. Her first novel, The Sparrow was released in 1996.
The Women of the Copper Country, Mary Doria Russell’s latest novel was released in 2019. This piece of historical fiction focuses on the lives of copper mine workers in the early 1900s, specifically on the women who spearheaded the movement to unionize in an effort to protect their families. The book’s protagonist, Annie Clements, embodies key qualities for students and adults alike — compassion, intelligence, drive and the strength to stand up for what she believes in.
The theme of power, which groups have it and which do not, is the basis of Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson. While not focusing on unions, Caste does explore hierarchy in America based on human rankings. The book fleshes out Wilkerson’s claims that the United States has an unspoken caste system similar to India and Nazi Germany. Her writing is clear and convincing, and she unearths how the past and our present have been dictated by who holds the power and how that power is withheld.
Wilkerson offers an example of how caste affected one of America’s greatest baseball players. Satchel Paige was one of the most dominant pitchers in major league baseball. However racial intolerance and discrimination kept him from making his MLB debut until the age of 42 when the Cleveland Indians signed him for the post-season run for the pennant. He became the first black pitcher in the American league and the seventh black player overall. However, he was denied a much longer major league career and the remuneration that accompanied it due to the caste system in America.
Both of these books, The Women of the Copper County and Caste are well worth reading. They are thought-provoking and will offer much material for discussion.
