Women's West Series
"Alex MacFarlane is the sort of historic heroine women writers in the West have long wanted to portray."
—The Denver Post
—Rocky Mountain News
"Poignant and touching. . . . A gifted writer."
—El Paso Herald Post
"A fine portrayal of a courageous woman's attempts to help the innocent victims of the battle with fascinating and tragic history as background."
—Bloomsbury Review
"Under Downing's skillful pen, the characters come alive, and the readers will gain a sympathy for the strikers, their families, and their union."
—Journal of the West
—George McGovern, former U.S. senator, co-author of The Great Coalfield War
—Lucia St. Clair Robson, best-selling author of Mary's Land
—Kathleen O'Neal Gear, best-selling author of Thin Moon, Cold Mist
—Glenda Riley, author of The Life and Legacy of Annie Oakley
The award-winning Fire in the Hole is the tale of a young widowed lawyer swept up in the violence of the famous Colorado coal strike of 1913-1914, known to history as the Ludlow Massacre. Opposed by the coal companies, the union, Wall Street, and the federal government, Alex hatches a scheme involving the president to overturn martial law and settle the strike. Thus a gripping tale unfolds of a woman who dares to go beyond the conventions of the day to find freedom and justice amid a power struggle so terrifying it would wrench the nation's conscience for decades.