CALUMET, Mich. - s4story -- Beth Kirschner—engineer by day, author by night—to release "Copper Divide", a historical fiction about the 1913 Italian Hall disaster. "Copper Divide" is a story of two friends on opposite sides of a bloody conflict that is tearing their town apart.

"Copper Divide" breathes life and color into a story previously told only in history books. Kirschner is a stickler for historical accuracy, going through great pains to include even the smallest details about how life during the strike really would have been that make it all too easy to become absorbed in the story. It is easy for a reader to feel as if they are living the story themselves, learning all about this time in history in the best way: unconsciously, unknowingly, and while being highly entertained.

Better yet, like all the best historical fiction, the characters in "Copper Divide" come to life so vividly that a reader cannot help but disappear into their world. They are diverse, complex, and unique. They face problems that are all too relatable to any reader who has ever failed to see eye-to-eye on an important issue with a friend or loved one. There are no clear winners and no clear answers in this bloody chapter of Michigan history.

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About the Book

In 1913, a massive and violent copper miners' strike split the once peaceful community surrounding Calumet, Michigan. Thousands are protesting and rioting in the streets. The National Guard is sent in and stays for months.

Hannah Weinstein is a Jewish merchant's daughter, confronted by the divide between her family's relative comfort and that of her Finnish friend Nelma Jokela. Nelma is married to a striker and on the front lines of the dispute. Hannah bides her time hosting illicit gambling games while her college education is put on hold by the strike. Late one evening, Hannah watches as a night train pulls into the station, and over one hundred scab miners climb into waiting carriages. Russell Toll is one of these men, who hopes to make enough money to marry his fiancée.

The murder of two scab miners compels Hannah to join a Citizens' Alliance opposing the strike and puts Hannah and Nelma on different sides of the conflict. A tragic accident caused by Russell forces the two friends to reassess the value of their friendship.

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About the Author

Beth Kirschner loves to travel the world, learn about different cultures and hear people's stories. While going to college on Michigan's Keweenaw peninsula, she fell in love with the people, the place and its history.

https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Divide-novel-Beth-Kirschner-ebook/dp/B08WTJYW17/