Beverly and Terry grew up like kin on opposite sides of a mountain ridge in eastern Kentucky. Now in their fifties, the two find themselves in the midst of a debate dividing their community and the world: who controls, consumes, and benefits from our planet's shrinking supply of natural resources? While Beverly organizes her neighbors to stop Miller Brothers Coal from advancing into her hollow, Terry considers signing away the mining rights to his backyard-a decision that could destroy both of their homes. This tale of social change examines the environmental, human, and cultural impacts of our actions.