The Widows by Jess Montgomery

 Lily Ross's life starts to fall apart when she hears that her husband, Sheriff Dan Ross, has been killed while transporting a prisoner from a nearby town to the county jail.  In another town, Marvena Whitcomb worries about her wayward daughter who hasn't come home for Sunday dinner in a month, and heads out on foot to ask Sheriff Ross what he has discovered about her disappearance.  She happens to show up in Kinship, Ohio on the day of Sheriff Ross's funeral.  When Lily meets Marvena, she begins to discover that there was a lot about her husband she didn't know. As the two women are driven to discover what has happened to their loved ones, they form an unusal friendship, and then a partnership in the pursuit to rid their communities of the forces of greed and corruption that have made more widows than even the infamous Widow-maker Mine.

This is a well-written, strong-woman story that delves into the evil practices of mining companies in the 1920's. It starts out very emotionally heavy, so much so I almost didn't continue after the first couple of chapters.  I was thinking, "All I nead now is another book that is going to pull down my emotions for the next week."  But several of the ladies at work recommended it, so I switched the playback speed to 1.25 and pressed on. I am glad I read it.  It reminds the reader that people can accomplish great things if they perservier in the pursuit of justice and right. Both Lily and Marvena and deeply wounded, but they keep going, lending each other strength, until things really do get better. Montgomery is a great writer, giving just enough detail to paint the scene and characters, but leaving enough unsaid that the reader is challenged to bring part of themself to the world that book creates. People who liked The Giver of Stars will like this one. (2019, 336 p)