A Memoir of Poverty and Resilience
by Katherine P. Manley
Don’t Tell’em You’re Cold: a
Memoir of Poverty and Resilience is an uplifting story of survival from abject poverty,
set in the hills and coal camps of southern West Virginia. Katherine Manley and
her family faced extreme challenges and struggles with ingenuity and
traditional Appalachian stoicism. Beyond the poverty, other obstacles
compounded Katherine’s life: a severely disabled father and a mother who struggled
with the day-to-day survival. On a cool October morning, she left in a taxi and
never returned, leaving 14-year-old Katherine to take care of her father and
raise her siblings in her mother’s stead. Katherine went on to become an
award-winning teacher, paying forward her hard-learned lessons to thousands of
lucky students. This is a story of triumph that encourages everyone to never give up.
"Kathy Manley's compelling memoir ought
to be required reading for every person in America today—especially every
person in high school. Not a shred of sentimentality or self-pity mars this
beautifully written account of an Appalachian childhood spent in deepest
poverty, yet Manley's narrative is neither pitiful nor sad, it is courageous
and loving, filled with hope for the future. Read this book."~Lee Smith, author Dime Store: A Writer’s Life
"West Virginians are among the very best story tellers
in the world, and Kathy Manley is clearly a West Virginian. Her story rings
with vibrancy and truth. Highly recommended." ~ Homer Hickam, Author of Rocket Boys/October Sky.