To Make My Bread

A story of the growth of thenew South, To Make My Bread revolves around a family of Appalachianmountaineers—small farmers, hunters, and moonshiners—drivenby economic conditions to the milltown and transformed into millhands,strikers, and rebels against the established order. Recognized as oneof the major works on the Gastonia textile strike, Grace Lumpkin's novelis also important for anyone interested in cultural or feminist historyas it deals with early generations of women radicals committed to addressingthe difficult connections of class and race. Suzanne Sowinska's introductionlooks at Lumpkin's volatile career and this book's critical reception.Originally published in 1932"[The book's] meaningrises out of people in dramatic conflict with other people and with theconditions of their life. . . . [Lumpkin] treats her theme with a craftsman'sand a psychologist's respect. The novel springs naturally from its author'simmersion in and personal knowledge of her absorbing subject material."-- The New York Times"Unpretentious . . .written in a simple and matter-of-fact prose, and yet reading it has beena more real, more satisfying experience than that which almost any otherrecent work of fiction has given me. I cannot imagine how anyone couldread it and not be moved by it." -- The Nation"A beautiful and sincerenovel, outstanding." -- The New RepublicThe late