Mar 23, 2015 1 min read

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March 30

Author visit

Marian Szczepanski, author of Playing St. Barbara, will visit Mt. Lebanon Library at 7 p.m. March 30 as part of National Women’s History Month.

Szczepanski will talk about the local history behind her novel, which focuses on a mother and three daughters living in a fictitious H.C. Frick Coke Company town, and the labor unrest, Ku Klux Klan intimidation, class discrimination and major strike that affect their lives and those of their neighbors during the Depression era in Fayette County. Szczepanski is the granddaughter of immigrant coal miners and, as a child, lived in a Jamison Coal Company house. Her research – the bulk which was done at Penn State Fayette’s Coal & Coke Heritage Center – took nine years.

Following some short readings, Szczepanski will answer questions about the story and her historical research, including visits to former coal company towns, abandoned coke ovens and historic Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and Szczepanski will do a book signing.

For more information, visit www.marianszczepanski.com.