Coal Cracker Blues

by James Stevens

The Coal Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania was a magic place for teenagers in the 1950s. The close-knit, ethnic communities of coal miners and their families enjoyed a safe environment where doors... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592867243
• ISBN13: 9781592867240
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Publish America
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A BITTER-SWEET JOURNEY

I believe anyone who lived in a small town in the Eastern United States during the 1950's will be able to identify with this nostalgic, bitter-sweet journey. It is told in the form of a mystery that unlocks a yearning for an innocent time when Rock and Roll was naughty and swimming nude in the juggy hole was quite daring and it reveals a present which makes one shudder. It has a universality that transcends the Coal Regions, but if are lucky enough to be from the strong stock this region produced, you will identify with the story even more. Above all, I liked the flow of the narrative and the sharp dialogue that kept the story moving between past and present. It is a page turner and it is not boring. I liked the bits of nostalgia, especially the description of the cars in the 50's. I would have liked to see more subtle treatments to underscore negative aspects of his characters and of the town, but I think the gift of subtely will come as Stevens matures as a novelist. If he sticks to the themes of the joys and sorrows of small-town life, he may well be our next John O'Hara. ...

Bravo!

Bravo! It was a great reading adventure and I enjoyed every page. Ilaughed,shed a few tears and also was scared.You opened avenues of many feelings!Such great detail in the mine tunnel scene! I have never been down ina coal mine. I did have the opportunity to tour a gold mine in CA.........was happy to come back to the earth's surface. Congratulations on the novel.Page 227 says it all.......starts out..."I still have the memories"........we do have all the wonderfulmemories of the wonderful place we call home and they will remain withus always. It was a special place and a very special time

Action and suspense

COAL CRACKER BLUES, by first time novelist James Stevens, rates at leastfive stars. It is a quick read---229 pages of action and suspense,mostly revealed through believably written dialogue. It grips the readeron page one and doesn't let him go until the last page. Stevens knowshow to engage the reader by making him feel, hear, taste, see, smell---and care. I highly recommend his book and congratulate Stevens on a jobwell done.Polly Hunt Neal

the good ole days

I only wish I were alive when the fabulous 50's were in full swing, luckily this book takes me right there and lets the reader appreciate what used to be and realize, sadly how much things have changed. You can actually hear the greatest music coming through the words and the emotional swings the characters go through looking on the town they cherished changing right in front of them. Anyone who knows the term "coal cracker" will appreciate Mr. Stevens love and admiration for these incredible people, the love of the town and the hope for its renewal. So grab a Ying Ling beer, some kiebasa and your favorite 50's memories for a story of friendship, coal talk (which thousands from this sacred region will recognize),laughter, mystery and reminicising. This author will truly put you right in the middle and your hope for these times will grow with every page. Enjoy and pass on!!

coal cracker blues

I am from a small town in the coal regions. The town in this book brought back so many fond memories of growing up in a similar town that has gone downhill in population. The references to the food, the type of people,and the fun we had growing up is something that will always remain with me. It made me remember how proud that I was from a town like this.