"They threw the gauntlet down - we picked it up." Observations from a Cowdenbeath Miner's Wife is a powerful collection of poetry and stories chronicling the raw, unfiltered reality of the 1984-85 Miners' Strike - from the kitchens to the picket lines, through humor, heartbreak, and hope. Written in her native Scots tongue, Carol Ann Ross - a frontline witness and fierce advocate - gives voice in this book to the often overlooked heroines of the strike: the women. With wit and grit, Ross captures the courage of communities who stood tall in the face of political betrayal and economic warfare. From soup kitchens to confrontations with authority, her words offer an intimate glimpse into the resilience that held families - and movements - together. These are not just observations; they are battle cries, love letters, and testimonies from the heart of working-class resistance. A tribute to unity, defiance, and the unbreakable spirit of ordinary people in extraordinary times. For anyone who ever wondered what solidarity really looks like - this is it.