Facing Death: A Tale of the Coal Mines
Or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit
By G. A. Henty, illus. by Gordon Browne, copyright unknown, 243 pages.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Coal Mining
RL: 8th - adult
Jack Simpson lost both his parents when he was just a small baby. His father was killed when the mine where he was working caved-in, his mother from the shock of the news. Jack was taken in by Bill and Jane Haden; Bill had worked with his father and been there when he died. As a young boy Jack showed extraordinary mathematical skill, he could work out any equation in his head! He would work difficult figures in his head when he worked alone in the mines, going to school at night. Jack worked hard, in the mines and at school, until one day tragedy struck; will Jack and the others be alright?
This was the first Henty my Mom read aloud to us when I was in school. It had us laughing, crying, and on the edge of our seats through the whole book! There were many times when we would beg Mom to read another chapter! This book gives a look at the lives of coal miners, from the perspective of the miners themselves. You can feel the danger and the fear of cave-ins. You will hold your breath when… But I won’t give away the most riveting part of the story; you’ll have to read it to find out!
By G. A. Henty, illus. by Gordon Browne, copyright unknown, 243 pages.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Coal Mining
RL: 8th - adult
Jack Simpson lost both his parents when he was just a small baby. His father was killed when the mine where he was working caved-in, his mother from the shock of the news. Jack was taken in by Bill and Jane Haden; Bill had worked with his father and been there when he died. As a young boy Jack showed extraordinary mathematical skill, he could work out any equation in his head! He would work difficult figures in his head when he worked alone in the mines, going to school at night. Jack worked hard, in the mines and at school, until one day tragedy struck; will Jack and the others be alright?
This was the first Henty my Mom read aloud to us when I was in school. It had us laughing, crying, and on the edge of our seats through the whole book! There were many times when we would beg Mom to read another chapter! This book gives a look at the lives of coal miners, from the perspective of the miners themselves. You can feel the danger and the fear of cave-ins. You will hold your breath when… But I won’t give away the most riveting part of the story; you’ll have to read it to find out!