Tattoos, Appalachia, and a Little Lipstick

I just finished the book The Coal Tattoo by Silas House. Mr. House is a local regional fiction author from Kite, Kentucky. For clarity, “regional fiction” deals with issues of the area, in this case, strip mining; and “local” means residing within a two hour drive of Northeast Tennessee. Folks in my neck of the woods consider you local so long as you live in the Appalachian Mountain range and understand our history. Anyway, a coal tattoo is the bluish tint of skin that coal miners get from working years in the mines. The coal dust seeps under the skin and leaves a permanent discoloration. The phrase “coal tattoo” can also be a metaphor and in this particular story represents the love of a region when it seeps into your soul, never leaves your heart and always draws you back. Therefore, metaphorically speaking, I have a tattoo! This story is about sisters who were born and raised in a small coal mining community, their love for each other and their land. What makes this book special is Mr. House’s beautiful writing. I love Appalachian stories and Silas House captures the heart of Appalachia respectfully which is important to anyone living in this area. His other two books, Clay’s Quilt and Parchment of Leaves, are worth the time to read especially if “you’re lookin to learn yourself somethin” about the Appalachia region. For other really great reads with roots in the rural areas of Appalachia check out David Baldacci’s Wish You Well, Sharyn McCrumb’s The Songcatcher, Robert Morgan’s Gap Creek, and to make you laugh out loud, Adriana Trigiani’s Big Stone Gap series (BTW, her main character and I both wear Revlon's Cherries in the Snow lipstick), and for heavens sake if you want to amount to anything when you grow up, read all of Jan Karon's Mitford Series at least twice!