Beverly May and Terry Ratliff grew up on opposite sides of a mountain ridge in eastern Kentucky, where coal is king. When a mountaintop removal coal mine encroaches on their community, the two find themselves on opposite sides of a debate that divides their community and the world

Beverly May and Terry Ratliff grew up on opposite sides of a mountain ridge in eastern Kentucky, where coal is king. When a mountaintop removal coal mine encroaches on their community, the two find themselves on opposite sides of a debate that divides their community and the world — who controls, consumes, and benefits from the planet's dwindling supply of natural resources? In a small town in dire economic straits and high unemployment, the coal company’s offer to buy land and provide jobs can be hard to resist. What can a community do when it must choose between its present and its future?