Come out and hear from Ms. Booth about her book, the process, and the research that went into it, and pick up a copy for yourself to get signed. Ms. Booth will also be previewing Rocked in the Cradle of Coal Book 2, which is due out in the spring.

This event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for sale. The LCHS Museum is located behind the Osterhout Library at 69 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA.

For questions or info, call 570-823-6244 x3. or email reservations@luzernehistory.org.

 

 

Notes on the Rocked in The Cradle of Coal series: Children of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines

Northeastern Pennsylvania was the cradle of the coal industry in the early 1900s. Immigrants escaping poverty and hunger in Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, and other countries were eagerly recruited by the anthracite mine barons to provide cheap labor in exchange for the promise of a better life in North America. Upon arriving in their new country, immigrants soon discovered that the streets were not made of gold. Because they were part of a vast low-skilled labor force and did not speak English well (although they may have spoken three or four other languages), they faced prejudice and were ridiculed with ethnic slurs.

With limited resources and a language barrier that separated them from the mainstream culture, these proud immigrants found strength in ethnic neighborhoods, societies, and their faith. They persevered with a strong work ethic, self-respect, and love for each other. Rocked in the Cradle of Coal stories are based on fact although not politically correct by today’s standards. The situations and conversations are purely a product of oral tradition and the author’s imagination…
but they could have happened in any immigrant home at that time