Fire in the Hole

Fire in the Hole uses oral tradition and interviews to tell the story of moonshining and crime in rural appalachia, specifically in Cumberland County, Kentucky, during the first half of the 20th century. Many of the stories included in this book have never been put to paper before and have either been passed down by generation or personally experienced by the storytellers. While various areas of Cumberland County are mentioned throughout the text, the focus lies with the now defunct Coe Ridge Colony of settlers that started as a community of freed slaves immediately after the Civil War. Using personal interviews conducted two decades ago, the book offers a never before seen glimpse of the moonshine maker’s life in the rural hills and hollows of Kentucky.