A heartfelt historical fiction collection that finds endless richness in simple lives. By the early part of the twentieth century, sawmills had given way to coal mines in Burfield County, Kentucky, and mining became the lifeblood of this rural Appalachian community. To support their families, generations of men shouldered their picks and shovels despite unhealthy conditions and the constant risk of cave-ins. Yet these folks had few options for feeding and clothing their families, so down into the dark, dusty mines they went. For Vergie Hicks, it wasn’t concern for her husband’s well-being that troubled her when he didn’t… Read more: Coal Dust on Purple Asters by Jeffrey L. Carrier