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The Black Canary
A “Cacophony of Hate and Fear . . .”
Italian immigrants Sol and Micca Morelli have made their home in Helper, Utah, where they raise canaries that warn miners of poisonous gases in the underground tunnels. Sol and his son Loucas work in the coal mines. When the two men are pressured to join in a labor strike, they become embroiled in a conflict that could leave them jobless . . . or worse.
Daughters Petra and Catrin—always at odds with each other—have blossomed into beautiful young women who are falling in love.
If only Sol could keep the girls in cages like his canaries! And what will local residents think of Robert Marshall and the other black men who have come to Helper to earn a living in the mines?
Italian immigrants Sol and Micca Morelli have made their home in Helper, Utah, where they raise canaries that warn miners of poisonous gases in the underground tunnels. Sol and his son Loucas work in the coal mines. When the two men are pressured to join in a labor strike, they become embroiled in a conflict that could leave them jobless . . . or worse.
Daughters Petra and Catrin—always at odds with each other—have blossomed into beautiful young women who are falling in love.
If only Sol could keep the girls in cages like his canaries! And what will local residents think of Robert Marshall and the other black men who have come to Helper to earn a living in the mines?
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2019
3 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Brown
102 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 3, 2021
I don't know. I think the author tried to fit too many themes in this book.
September 17, 2020
This was a beautiful story. I loved Petra and her never failing kindness. I love how she always looked past the surface to the depth and beauty within. It was so sad to see how hatred and cruelty can rule even the strongest of minds, but eventually live and goodness will conquer.
October 25, 2019
An enjoyable read that sadly illustrates that some good lives are lived while being considered by some persons to be worth no more than the life of a canary -- while indeed other lives lived by some individuals are quite worthless. Chapters are short and draw the reader on from one chapter to the next. The first 36 chapters are full of fascinating details (only rarely overdone) about the teen-age and young-adult years of the main characters. Then, suddenly, the last chapter skims over the rest of their lives apparently to bring in a delicate point of the story in an inoffensive way.
An informative, interesting, and sometimes intriguing book in multiple ways: opened my eyes to some aspects of life in Carbon County, Utah of which I was not aware.; convinced me that it was a good thing that my mother as a child with my grandparents lived in the Helper, Utah area for only a matter of months; informed me about the author who is a prominent member of our local community. All residents of Springville should learn more about the author and her books. Wherever one may live, life can grow in happiness, security, and success as one learns to grow in cooperation, courage, unselfishness, and compassion.
An informative, interesting, and sometimes intriguing book in multiple ways: opened my eyes to some aspects of life in Carbon County, Utah of which I was not aware.; convinced me that it was a good thing that my mother as a child with my grandparents lived in the Helper, Utah area for only a matter of months; informed me about the author who is a prominent member of our local community. All residents of Springville should learn more about the author and her books. Wherever one may live, life can grow in happiness, security, and success as one learns to grow in cooperation, courage, unselfishness, and compassion.
September 30, 2019
Italian immigrants Sol and Micca Morelli have made their home in Helper, Utah where they raise canaries that warn miners of poisonous gases in the underground tunnels. Sol and his son, Lucas work in the coal mines. When the two men are pressured to join a labor strike, they become embroiled in a conflict that could leave them jobless or worse.
Daughters Petra and Catin are always at odd with each other. They have blossomed into beautiful young women who are falling in love. If only Sol could keep the girls in cages like his canaries! And what will local residents think of Robert Marshall and the other black men who have come to Helper to earn a living in the mines?
The Black Canary sings from its pages the cacophony of hate and fear through clash of race, religion, and class, intertwined with the welcome harmony of love. That many of these stunning events are historical makes the reading a deeply rich experience.
Daughters Petra and Catin are always at odd with each other. They have blossomed into beautiful young women who are falling in love. If only Sol could keep the girls in cages like his canaries! And what will local residents think of Robert Marshall and the other black men who have come to Helper to earn a living in the mines?
The Black Canary sings from its pages the cacophony of hate and fear through clash of race, religion, and class, intertwined with the welcome harmony of love. That many of these stunning events are historical makes the reading a deeply rich experience.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews