Since 2007, the Great Michigan Read, Michigan Humanities’ signature program, has bridged communities across the state with Michigan based fiction and non-fiction titles that spark conversation and understanding of diverse perspectives.

“The Women of the Copper Country” by Maria Doria Russell is a fictionalized history of the 1913 copper miners’ strike in Calumet in the Upper Peninsula. Following the story of 25 year old strike leader, Anna “Big Annie” Klobuchar Clemenc, Russell draws attention to the women and the immigrants who risked their lives to fight unregulated capitalist exploitation. Widely praised for meticulous research, fine prose, and the compelling narrative drive of her stories, Mary Doria Russell is the award-winning author of seven bestselling novels, including the science fiction classics “The Sparrow and Children of God”; the World War II thriller, “A Thread of Grace”; and a political romance set in 1921 Cairo called “Dreamers of the Day”.

Mary Doria Russell was born in the Chicago suburbs to a military family. She received her BA in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign; her MA in Social Anthropology at Northeastern University, Boston; and her PhD in Biological Anthropology at the University of Michigan. Mary lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

The activities surrounding this event will begin with a discussion of Mary Doria Russell’s novel on Friday March 18, 2022 at 10:00am facilitated by the students and faculty of EMU’s Honors College. Following the event will be a panel discussion focusing on the themes raised by the novel - feminism, union organization, immigrant’s rights, and the history of the Peninsula Community in which the novel is set.

Pre-registration is required via the OLLI website or phone. A link to access the presentation will be e-mailed to you approximately one week prior to the first session.