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Is Tommy guilty of his uncle's murder at the hands of anti-union detectives? He thinks so, and the guilt plunges him into despair. His life becomes as dark as the coal mine where he works to support his mother.In the blackness of the mine, Tommy teaches himself to play the guitar; soon he's performing at parties and dances in coal-mining towns throughout eastern Utah. One Christmas Eve, he meets lovely Eugenie, the mine owner's daughter, and writes a song for her. The two sixteen-year-olds fall in love, but because Tommy is a lowly laborer in the mine, Eugenie decides they should keep their meetings secret.
After union songwriter Joe Hill is convicted of murder in an unfair trial, Tommy is asked to be Joe's successor, to write the powerful, pro-union songs that will rally working men and women to the union cause. Tommy is torn -- if he accepts, he'll lose his job in the mine and he may lose Eugenie; if he refuses, he'll be turning away from the people he's worked with since he was eleven years old.
Riding on a train to Chicago where he'll sing at Joe Hill's funeral, Tommy reviews the crucial events of his life, from his Uncle Jim's death to his love for Eugenie to his last, memorable meeting with Joe Hill. As he sings his final tribute at the funeral, it becomes clear to Tommy what he wants to do with his life.
Many of the events in these pages actually happened, including early labor unrest, the two murder trials, and the dramatic execution of Joe Hill.
Gloria Skurzynski says, "As we live and work in the Internet Age, we forget that a century ago, most people earned their daily bread through hard manual labor. All across the U.S., union organizers roused workers tostrike for safer conditions and higher wages. In the West, songwriter Joe Hill achieved his wish to become a martyr for the union cause. Perhaps Joe finally found that 'pie in the sky, ' a phrase he coined that we still use today."
After union songwriter Joe Hill is convicted of murder in an unfair trial, Tommy is asked to be Joe's successor, to write the powerful, pro-union songs that will rally working men and women to the union cause. Tommy is torn -- if he accepts, he'll lose his job in the mine and he may lose Eugenie; if he refuses, he'll be turning away from the people he's worked with since he was eleven years old.
Riding on a train to Chicago where he'll sing at Joe Hill's funeral, Tommy reviews the crucial events of his life, from his Uncle Jim's death to his love for Eugenie to his last, memorable meeting with Joe Hill. As he sings his final tribute at the funeral, it becomes clear to Tommy what he wants to do with his life.
Many of the events in these pages actually happened, including early labor unrest, the two murder trials, and the dramatic execution of Joe Hill.
Gloria Skurzynski says, "As we live and work in the Internet Age, we forget that a century ago, most people earned their daily bread through hard manual labor. All across the U.S., union organizers roused workers tostrike for safer conditions and higher wages. In the West, songwriter Joe Hill achieved his wish to become a martyr for the union cause. Perhaps Joe finally found that 'pie in the sky, ' a phrase he coined that we still use today."
253 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Skurzynski
90 books30 followers"May you live in interesting times."
That ambiguous wish was not meant to be kind, because interesting times can be difficult. You and I certainly live in interesting times - dangerous, challenging, and fascinating.
My parents were born just before the start of the twentieth century; my youngest grandchild arrived in this century's final decade. The years in between have been the most dynamic in the history of the human race. Technical knowledge has exploded; so has the Earth's human population. We can create almost anything, yet each day we lose parts of our planet that can never be replaced.
I'm greedy: I want to write about all of it - the history, the grief, joy, and excitement of being human in times past; the cutting-edge inventions of times almost here.
--from the author's website
Gloria Skurzynski has also co-written books with her daughter Alane Ferguson.
That ambiguous wish was not meant to be kind, because interesting times can be difficult. You and I certainly live in interesting times - dangerous, challenging, and fascinating.
My parents were born just before the start of the twentieth century; my youngest grandchild arrived in this century's final decade. The years in between have been the most dynamic in the history of the human race. Technical knowledge has exploded; so has the Earth's human population. We can create almost anything, yet each day we lose parts of our planet that can never be replaced.
I'm greedy: I want to write about all of it - the history, the grief, joy, and excitement of being human in times past; the cutting-edge inventions of times almost here.
--from the author's website
Gloria Skurzynski has also co-written books with her daughter Alane Ferguson.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 8, 2010
This was another title suggested by The King's English bookstore. I really liked it! Maybe it is just the book I've been searching for! The setting is in Utah, so it is a cross-curricular book filled with Utah history. It tells the story of a young boy who is a miner. My grandfather worked in the mines. It is our history. He also learns to sing songs and learns some of the songs of Joe HIll. The book covers the trial and execution of this infamous union leader. I'm thinking this might be the book for me.
Themes include-- family, honesty, guilt, love, hard work, class distinction, and labor unions-- all good topics to discuss in class.
Themes include-- family, honesty, guilt, love, hard work, class distinction, and labor unions-- all good topics to discuss in class.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2007
This book was a little confusing. It would start somewhere then a few pages later a year would have gone by and it was talking about completely different stuff, but once you got into the book it started making more sense. At the very end of the book everything ties in together and you get the true meaning of what the other is trying to say. Overall I would say it was a good book and recomend it to anyone who is willing to read it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews