This is the story of the people from Coal Run, PA and how they handled life after an explosion of the coal mine killed many of their husbands, fathers, and brothers as well as starting a fire underneath the ground that took away many of their homes. The prologue to the book describes the day the mine blew from the point of view of Ivan Zoschenko, when he was a little boy. The horror of the moment when the women of the town heard the explosion and sirens and realized what happened is described wonderfully. It breaks your heart. I hear stories on the news of men trapped and mines and I can not imagine what that is like for the families.
The book then moves forward about thirty years and little Ivan Zoschenko has turned into The Great Ivan Z. He had been a football hero going to play for the Bears before he had an accident that hurt his knee so he could no longer play. Ivan went to Florida where he lived for years ignoring his family and home town and is now back in Coal Run working for the police there. It is clear early on that he has come back because one of this football teammates, Reese, is about to be released from prison. Reese had been in prison for beating his wife until she was brain dead.
This book is about how life with the mines has changed every person in the town. Later on, there are many unemployed men as new technology for energy is developed. Ivan, and others, deal with their problems through alcohol and other escapes. Ivan is trying to patch up relationships with his family and also trying to resolve some kinds of issue with Reese. In doing so he confronts many of his own problems from the past and things that he has been running away from for so many years.
I enjoyed this book by Tawni O’Dell even more than her first. It is very believable, the characters make you feel for them, and there are moments to make you smile and cry.
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