Writer and Walker County native Iris Singleton McAvoy has a unique take on the history of Walker County. Coal is intertwined with her family history, making the stories of mining in Walker County dear to her heart.

Through images contributed by Horace DeFore, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Alabama Department of Archives, and countless Walker County natives, she re-creates scenes from mines and mining camps that have long disappeared. She hopes this book honors the hard-working miners who have sacrificed to make this county great.