Patch Town: A novel based on the true story of the town that united against corporate power

by J.A. Stein

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2026

About the author

When J.A. Stein isn't dreaming up stories of centuries past, you can find her training horses like those in her stories. Or perhaps you won't find her at all, as she frequently disappears into America's stunning wilderness to chase adventure. She loves to read anything with a plot and makes it a goal to write stories that can't be put down.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

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Reviews

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Patch Town by J.A. Stein. As someone who grew up near Pennsylvania’s Coal Region, I thought I knew a lot about the area’s history. This book showed me how much I didn’t know.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I definitely recommend giving this one a try. I cared about the characters, but I also learned so much about patch towns, bootleg mining, everyday life, and the dangers that people faced. The history never felt like a lesson. It was just naturally part of the story, and I kept learning things I didn’t even realize I didn’t know.

The descriptions made me feel like I was there. I could picture the mines and the patch towns so clearly. The author even described things I recognized from growing up around the coal region but had never really put into words. It made me stop and think, “Yeah, that’s exactly what it’s like.”

When I finished the book, I felt satisfied because everything came together so well. More than that, I felt proud of the people from this region and what they endured. This is one of those books that entertains you while teaching you something at the same time.

If you’re from northeastern Pennsylvania, I think you’ll appreciate this book even more. I could also see it being a great book for students learning about Pennsylvania history because it brings local history to life through a story you’ll actually care about.

[Dean Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.A. Stein has nailed it again. In Patch Town, her latest opus, she captured life in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. As a Skook (Schuylkill County native) myself, I recognized the language, the sentence structures, and the "patches" where miners and their families lived in small, modest villages. She intertwined the hardscrabble lives of miners, their loves, and ambitions in a compelling tale that is romance, adventure, and mystery all in one. Her knowledge of mining techniques and their constant dangers was detailed and accurate. The scenes underground gave me the shivers with the damp, stale air, constant dripping water, and cave-in dangers. Stein is an expert storyteller who weaved complex plots and their accompanying twists you don't see coming. Her characters are nuanced, people you can't help rooting for as they face life's problems. This is wonderful novel I couldn't put down. I can't wait for Stein's next novel.

[Ashlee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

This was a book that is found enjoyable and unique. I loved the story and the characters were relatable. While the author didn't capture the zeitgeist, she did capture the feel of mining towns. The characters truly grew and changed while the setting was tough but beautiful.

[Deb Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great read. I could actually feel myself inside the mines along with the workers. It was informative and left me with history from an area not far from where I grew up. Both the history and the human nature written in this book made this a great read.

[Connie Glunz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect mesh of history and - can’t put it down - intriguing fictional plot! Patch Town challenges our understanding of integrity, courage, justice, love and just plain survival grit. Hats off to the amazing miners’s of our collective history, and to J.A. Stein for another spellbinding novel!