A story of Molly Maguires and Modocs in the Mahanoy Valley of Pennsylvania. Written by Steve Varonka & illustrated by Leslie Young
is about Pat Casserly and his family in 1875 Mahanoy City, PA. It conveys a
time of real turmoil in the heart of the hard coal region. Molly Maguires and rival Welsh
Modocs fight for control of the region and justice is one sided. Fighting between rival
volunteer fire companies, one Irish and one Welsh, helps to highlight the action as Pat and
his son Bernie are caught between the opposing forces.
The historical timeline is accurate although the story is purely fiction. Anyone interested in
Molly Maguire history will not want to miss this book. So join the Mollies and the Modocs
as they continue their conflict.
Steve Varonka
Molly Justice is Steve's first fiction book. Inspired by his trek into
the genealogy world in a search for his roots. Steve proposed a
"what if" and the book began to evolve. Prior experience in
producing family genealogy books helped drive the decision to try
some fiction. Further inspiration was provided through his research
readings of Tales of the Mine Country by Eric McKeever and
Germanville by Norm Oley. Real motivation came after reading
Making Sense of the Molly Maguires by Kevin Kenny. The support
of Professor George Turner of Bloomsburg University of
Pennsylvania was a valuable asset. Lastly, there is Flash
McDonald and Tommy Symons of the Orange and Green show, who,
each week, reminded him of his Irish roots.
Steve is currently a Facilities Manager for the Geisinger Health
System in charge of the Wilkes-Barre area. Geisinger Wyoming
Valley Medical Center is his base of operations. He joined
Geisinger in 1983 after managing a mobile home sales lot and a seven year association
with Beneficial Finance. Steve holds a B.S.B.A. in General Management from Thomas A.
Edison State College, Trenton, NJ granted in 1997 after nine years of independent study.
He is a 1970 graduate on Mahanoy Area High School.
Mr. Varonka says about his book, "I decided to write the book because of the influence of
my grandfather Pat Casserly. Since my father died when I was just a baby my only male
influence was my grandfather who live just next door. Although he was only half Irish you
would never have known that by looking at him. In his mind, he was Irish. I also wanted
to provide a vehicle for people to better understand the turmoil of the region and time
without getting too bogged down in a pure history. The Molly era is indeed a controversial
one. One marked by corporate greed, class distinction, ethnic prejudice and injustice. My
hope is the book will be more widely read and will prompt some to investigate further."
Encountering danger, romance, heartache and tragedy, Catherine Merit strives to fit into a world filled with prejudice, hatred and violence where she is forced to kill a man in order to save herself. Third book of the Indignities Series.
A delightfully rare Historical Novel. 85% a biography of a spy, musician, mother and her neice trapped behind German lines in World War I. This background led to a diplomatic post in World War II. Aged 92, Vera disclosed her past life one year before
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