Borrowed Ground: The Schoolhouse, the Coal Town, and the Fight to Belong

By Jerry Buchanan

Borrowed Ground: The Schoolhouse, the Coal Town, and the Fight to Belong
In the heart of Appalachian coal country, where families built homes on land they never truly owned, Borrowed Ground tells the story of resilience, memory, and quiet power. Through evocative tribute chapters, historical images, and community voices, Jerry Buchanan honors the teachers, matriarchs, and everyday heroes who shaped life in St. Charles and nearby towns.
From the schoolhouse to the company store, from garden rows to underground shafts, this book captures the duality of life above and below-the beauty of belonging and the struggle to be seen. With emotional depth and historical rigor, Buchanan invites readers into a living archive of grit, grace, and generational legacy.
Perfect for readers of regional history, labor memoirs, and tribute storytelling, Borrowed Ground is a heartfelt homage to the people who made borrowed land their own.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FW4MGL9T
• ISBN13: 9798269696409
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 118 Pages
• Weight: 0.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"