5.0 out of 5 stars Coal River- Mining

D.E.A. · April 25, 2025

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4.0 out of 5 stars HEARTBREAKING HISTORICAL NOVEL

E.P. · May 23, 2023

This is the first book I have read by Ellen Marie Wiseman and I thoroughly enjoyed it though it broke my heart. It is a well-researched book about coal mining in Pennslvania at the turn of the 20th Century. It tells of the hideous working conditions for the breaker boys, children as young as 6 years, who sit on planks above moving conveyor belts carrying coal. Their job is to sort out, with their bare hands, the shale and other non-coal items moving past them. The work was dangerous and many children lost limbs while their fathers risked their lives in the mines and their mothers struggled to make ends meet. The corruption was infuriating with miners and their families living in company provided homes from which they were evicted upon the death of the miner; with women having to buy over-priced food and household goods from the company store and being turned away to starve if they were unable to pay the bills.The book weaves the story of the unionization of the miners and a love story between Emma and Clayton, a miner who not only takes in orphans but is trying to bring fair labor practices to the mines by supporting the miners to strike.The story is well-researched and well-told. The characters are rich and believable and the action moved forward at a good pace. I look forward to reading other stories by this author and certainly recommend this book to others.

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend!

K. · February 9, 2025

This has to be one of the best written books I have read in a very long time. The story was heart-wrenching and hard to read. I caught myself in tears more than once! I have no idea how this author researched all of this and then still had the strength to write such a beautiful story. I absolutely loved this book, and I am positive I will reread it again in the future. Emma will stand as one of my favorite female main characters and this story will stay with me for a very long time.I will also be purchasing anything this author writes. Thank you so much for bringing this story to life for me.The twists at the end... Phenomenal!

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Read

L.S. · February 4, 2025

Informative & effectively conveys the horrors of period cap mining but story wraps up hurriedly with an unlikely confession. Feels rushed

5.0 out of 5 stars Coal River: Another riveting story by Ellen Marie Wiseman

T.V.a.R.;. · February 9, 2024

I had previously read Ms Wiseman's "The Lost Girls of Willowbrook", which intrigued me enough that I wanted to know more about mental hospitals. This story of Coal River miners was another that had me looking into the Pennsylvania mines of the past. Emma Malloy lived in Coal River when she was 10 and her 8 yr old brother drowned. When she was 19 her parents died in a Manhattan theater fire. She must return to Coal River to live with her aunt and uncle or else be sent to the poorhouse. Uncle Otis is the foreman of the mine owned by Hazard Flint. Both men are ruthless money grubbers who don't care about how cruel the miners and breaker boys lives are. Clayton Nash is a miner who is trying to unionize the miners. Emma sees so many maimed young breaker boys she feels she must help them. In her efforts she ends up being thrown out of her uncle's house. She goes to stay with Clayton and the orphan children he supports. The characters are all very well written. The story will have you on the edge of your seat when the "Black Maria" hearse comes to the miners' village to bring home a miner's body, wondering who it is. You'll root for Emma in her brave pursuits. You won't be expecting the shocking courtroom scene. I found myself hating to be interrupted while reading this amazing and enlightening tale. I highly recommend this story. I read more about the breaker boys and this unforgettable time in America's history.Ellen Marie Wiseman is a very inspiring author.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fight For Justice

M. · December 26, 2024

This book is very relatable even in 2024. As a retired teacher, it makes one thankful for all the lives of children lost in the coal mines. Children and families who felt they had no other choice.

5.0 out of 5 stars Different, Gripping, Eye Opening!

K. · December 30, 2024

This story had me captivated at the beginning. I had known very little about mining and mining life in the heights of the mining industry until having picked up this book on a whim. At times, heartbreaking, the story is well developed with a surprising twist at the end. I loved this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars I honestly can't stop crying!

w.v. · June 7, 2023

I was born and raised in a coal town myself. I can't count the number of family members I've had that lived and died in the mines. It's one of those jobs that you have to hug your loved one before they go to work and tell them you love them like it's the last time because you're all too aware that it may be the last time. I've watched documentaries and even a movie about my hometown when the strikes took place in Harlan county and there's a little town called Lynch, where I grew up that sounds so much like the little coal town in this book. Lynch even had a general store where the miners could only spend their money because the miners were paid in coal vouchers. I think this was a common practice. My hometown is still bleak and desolate and in my opinion the only ones to truly prosper and profit from the mines are the owners themselves. Coal miners and their families sacrifice their entire lives and it's heartbreaking to think they were nothing more than a number. It's heart shattering to know that so many young innocent boys suffered and died for the sake of greed. This book was beautiful written and thoroughly researched. It truly resonated like no other book I've read.

WONDERFUL INSIGHT INTO THE VINTAGE COAL MINING YEARS..AMAZING!!

S. · June 27, 2019

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } This author has me right in the palm of her hands from the first page of her books...I have read them all and waiting for her new one to come out I believe in August. Coal Mining was something I knew little to nothing about, and if this is how it was, which I can surely imagine it must have been, her story again, is so fictionally true to life "as it was". I always feel if a book I reach teaches me something, or I gain tremendous knowledge about a subject I knew nothing about, then the writing abilities are great. Thank you Ellen Marie for again opening up that "window to the past".

Four Stars

C. · January 14, 2016

Fantastic

A nice change to read for me

S. · January 25, 2017

A nice change to read for me. Hard to believe those things happened to children in the coal mines and society let it happen.

An eye opener of a story!

F. · September 2, 2023

I enjoy reading novels about the history of North America. Coal mining occurred all over the continent and I can't imagine how many families were impacted by the lack of enforcement of child labour laws.

Historical novel

S. · May 21, 2024

The historical aspects of this novel were interesting. However, the plot was rather predictable and it was hard to believe some of the twists - I’m not sure anyone would choose to live the life of a miner’s wife in the shanty town.