Title: A Walk Through Minden: In the Lives of the Crone and Vegh Families
Author: Lillian (Sissy Crone) Frazer
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-5049-7081
Pages: 150
Genre: Historical, Non-fiction, Memoir
Reviewed by: Suzanne Gattis
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Pacific Book Review
A Walk Through Minden: In the Lives of the Crone and Vegh Families transports the reader back in time as it followed the Crone and Vegh families when they came to America and settled in as a West Virginian coal mining family. A loving tribute for her family and posterity, Frazer’s book also has significant relevance for anyone that is interested not only in history but also in good storytelling. It is obvious that this book is full of well-done genealogical research, as well as personal nostalgia. After reading this literature, I myself was immediately interested in finding out more about my own family and history, being obvious this writing is a priceless gift for generations to come.
Frazer traces her family history from her immigrant ancestors into her lifetime. While keeping up with all the names and lineage of the family can be a bit difficult at times throughout the book, the stories she tells humanizes the characters you are reading about. Births and deaths, love and loss, and the ordinary and the extraordinary all grab the reader’s attention and make the characters come alive to us. This honest narrative touches on both the good and negative in the family history, adding legitimacy to the writing that would have been missing had the author not done so. With the right balance of research and family tradition, this tale is historically accurate and personal at the same time.
Centered on what started off as a small mining camp in West Virginia, the book is an interesting study on the history of the United States and the mining industry, particularly since it had such a major influence and drastic changes over the years. Weaving through the story, the reader can see the progress that occurred throughout the years; with the interesting twist that progress did not always have positive effects. As the years pass on and technology increases, we see the eventual decline of the town that the reader and her family so loved.
It’s hard to read this book and not sense the love and passion that was put into its pages by the author. The book memorializes a family history while educating the reader about what life was really like in those times. The writing style makes the book an easy read and gives readers insight into a world they can never personally experience. I would recommend this book to anyone, history buff or not, that enjoys great storytelling.
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