This stunning collection of photos and commentary chronicling the coal industry of Northeast Pennsylvania in the late 1800's and early 1900's evokes compassion for those families dependent upon mining jobs for survival. From interviews of former miners, Susan Bartoletti shows the plucky spirit of the youngest workers (often under 10 years old), the tragic consequences of a slip-up, the desperate living quarters of the large families, and eventually the organized strikes that led to union formations. An informative and thought-provoking work. Inspired by her in-laws' recollections of working in coal country, Susan Campbell Bartoletti has gathered the voices of men, women, and children who immigrated to and worked in northeastern Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. The story that emerges is not just a story of long hours, little pay, and hazardous working conditions; it is also the uniquely American story of immigrant families working together to make a new life for themselves. It is a story of hardship and sacrifice, yet also of triumph and the fulfillment of hopes and dreams.