When we last left Morris Morgan, he was high-tailing it out of the town of Marias Coulee to parts unknown. In Work Song, he reappears, ten years later, in the copper mining capital of the world, Butte, Montana.
It is 1919, and Morris (who now goes by the name “Morrie”) arrives in town with no luggage, no job and no place to stay. He finds lodging in a boarding house run by a widow whose husband was killed in the copper mines. Morrie soon discovers that the whole town is run by the despised Anaconda Mining Company. Through a former student who is engaged to the local union leader, Morrie becomes involved in the labor disputes of the town.
A colorful cast of characters includes two retired Welsh miners who live in the boarding house, an old rancher who now runs the town library, and a lightning-fast young boy who is so skinny that his nickname is “Russian Famine”.
Although both Whistling Season and Work Song showcase the character of Morrie Morgan, it’s not necessary to read the first in order to enjoy the second.
Tags: copper mines, labor unions, libraries, miners, Montana
I was going to review this book, myself, but figured why reinvent the wheel? So I’ll just add my thoughts to Barb’s: I enjoyed this very much, thought Doig did a wonderful job painting a picture of this rough and tumble town, and, as any book lover would, loved the library where Morgan gets a job. I didn’t even remember it was a sequel, though, until I read Barb’s review again, so I guess I better go back and get “Whistling Season”!