The Blue Line Down (Hub Press 2021) is a debut novel by local author Maris Lawyer, an honors graduate of Anderson University and a member of the Foothills Writers Guild.
Within its action-packed journey of betrayal, loyalty, and an unexpected homecoming, Jude Washer runs away from Virginia to escape his abusive father and a lifetime of working in the coal mines.
The compelling story is set in portions of Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas in 1922 during a period of bloodshed involving a maelstrom of mine unionizers, bootleggers, prohibition, and women’s suffrage movement in post-WWI Appalachia. Although fiction, the story is filled with genuine portrayals of the history of the era as well as nuances of Appalachian culture.
Lawyer’s characters are well developed and memorable. In spite of the raw violence and Jude Washer’s circumstances, readers will enjoy his grit and emotional growth in courage. Here is a sample of her vivid description of another character: Prince squinted and ran his tongue over his lips before lifting up his rifle and kissing the barrel.
Lawyer’s style of clearly painting scenes will please novel readers. An example: The four sat around Warby’s kitchen table, coffee in hands, quietly staring at the whorls of wood grain that formed a knot on the table. Less than an hour had passed since Lebo’s funeral and no one was willing to break the silence.
Her expositions on Appalachia’s unique landscape are both poetic and informative: Wild daffodils spangled the forest floor like sunshine filtering through the tree boughs, and the redbud trees had been surpassed by white dogwoods.
The Blue Line Down is a story about Jude Washer’s relentless pursuit of hope – not just his own but also for Appalachians who had long since lost a glimmer of hope for a better life. The story will fill readers’ hearts and leave a craving for more works from Maris Lawyer.
The book is available locally at McDowell’s Emporium and on Amazon.