Life in the eastern mining settlements brought undue care and responsibility to young Misko Verna. It also provided a backdrop for the dignity and compassion that enabled him and his multi-cultural neighborhood family to find beauty and strength in each other amid the bleak physical conditions characterizing their day-to-day existence. Sister Alenka survives a near tragic accident, friend Leo overcomes some of the limitations of cerebral palsy, and Misko realizes his dream of preserving his home in this lively and heartwarming story.