Hard Coal

When Jack Barton saved dozens of men from a cold and watery death by drowning deep inside a Pennsylvania coal mine he became a true American hero. With that act of bravery, his wife, Cara, lost her chance to abandon their marriage.Years later, suffering delusions and paranoia, Jack cannot bear the unwanted moniker of hero. Meanwhile, pressure mounts for Cara to reveal the long-buried secret that threatens the existence of their family.As Jack and Cara wrestle with their burdens, their...
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When Jack Barton saved dozens of men from a cold and watery death by drowning deep inside a Pennsylvania coal mine he became a true American hero. With that act of bravery, his wife, Cara, lost her chance to abandon their marriage.Years later, suffering delusions and paranoia, Jack cannot bear the unwanted moniker of hero. Meanwhile, pressure mounts for Cara to reveal the long-buried secret that threatens the existence of their family.As Jack and Cara wrestle with their burdens, their son Michael fights for independence and to find his manhood in the shadow of Jack's heroic legacy. Younger brother William, struggling with the confusing changes of his nascent sexuality and the stunning revelations of parents and brother alike, strives to forge a connection with Jack, who remains mute and devastated.HARD COAL is the story of a working-class 1970s family facing up to its personal demons, told in two threads, separated by a decade, with a catastrophic industrial accident at the centerpiece. The novel is a mix of Richard Russo's working-man drama in EMPIRE FALLS and the relationship complexities of Richard Ford's short stories found in ROCK SPRINGS.