Coal River (32 page)

1.
The use of breaker boys began in the mid-1860s. Their job was to separate impurities from coal by hand inside the coal breaker, ten hours a day, six days a week. Not only were they forced to work without gloves, but the working conditions inside the breaker were extremely dangerous. Had you ever heard of the breaker boys before reading
Coal River
? Were you surprised to learn that young boys were used in coal mining?

2.
Many of the miners’ wives allowed their underage sons to work in the breaker to bring in an extra income, especially if they had other children to feed, or their husbands had been injured or killed. Sometimes parents even lied about their son’s age so he would be hired. If you had been in the same situation, living in poverty and unable to feed your children, what would you have done?

3.
Orphaned and penniless, Emma is forced to choose between the poorhouse and going back to Coal River where her brother drowned and her uncle mistreated her. Considering the times, what do you think would have happened to Emma if she had chosen the poorhouse? What would you have done?

4.
To help the miners, Emma steals food from her aunt and marks bills paid at the Company Store. She knows stealing is wrong but does it anyway. Why do you think she felt it was okay in this situation? Would you have done the same thing? Why or why not?

5.
In the early days of mining, there was a lot of tension between the mine owners, the Coal and Iron Police, and the miners. There was a lot of violence, and sometimes it was hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. In
Coal River,
did you know right away who was good and bad? Why or why not?

6.
How do you think Emma changed over the course of the novel? What were the most important events that facilitated those changes? Why do you think she was so determined to help the breaker boys?

7.
How did you feel about Clayton when you first met him? Did you trust him? What about Nally? How were Clayton and Nally the same? How were they different?

8.
Emma is doubtful that her dead brother is speaking to her through Michael. In the end she is still not sure. What do you think? Do you believe in channeling and mediums?

9.
When Emma and Uncle Otis are arguing up at the mine, they both have different memories of the time her parents were staying in Coal River. Otis thinks they were freeloading, while Emma remembers them helping Aunt Ida by fixing the roof and doing housework. It’s said that people remember history differently, even if it’s a conversation or argument from the day before. Has that ever happened to you? Have you had conflict in your life because someone remembered an incident differently than you did?

10.
How did you feel about Percy when you first met him? How about Frank? Did you end up feeling differently about them by the end of the book? Why?

11.
What do you think Frank’s motives were when he told Hazard Flint that Emma was becoming friendly with the miners’ wives and children? Why did it backfire?

12.
Twice, Emma risked her life to save Frank. Why do you think she did it? Would you risk your life to save someone who had harmed or mistreated you?

13.
Even though Pennsylvania child labor laws came into effect in the late 1800s, many mine owners got away with putting underage boys to work in the breakers and mines until the 1920s. Why do you think it was allowed to continue for so long? What could have been done to stop it?

14.
At the time of the story, unions were important for helping miners stand up for their rights against powerful mine owners. Why do you think that was? Do you think unions are a good thing or a bad thing? What do you think of unions today?

15.
At the end of
Coal River,
secrets were revealed that changed everything. Which ones surprised you the most? Did you see any of them coming?