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    The Coalwood Way: A Memoir
    The Coalwood Way: A Memoir
    The Coalwood Way: A Memoir
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Coalwood Way: A Memoir

    Written by Homer Hickam

    Narrated by Frank Muller

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Homer Hickam is the #1 New York Times best-selling author whose life inspired the critically acclaimed film October Sky. In The Coalwood Way he returns to his childhood home of Coalwood, West Virginia for an inspiring memoir about growing up in a town that's slowly fading away. Homer and his close buddies, who call themselves the Rocket Boys, are high school seniors in 1959. Their rocket building experiments amaze the locals, thanks to top-quality moonshine for fuel, "liberated" materials, and Homer's self-taught understanding of higher math. But no matter how brilliant their experiments are, they can do little to help preserve Coalwood's way of life. With the coal mine on its last legs, prospects for the town are unpredictable at best. For anyone who's ever dreamed of greatness or wondered what an uncertain future might bring, this book will seem warmly familiar. Frank Muller's affectionate narration captures both the spirit of ambition and the spectre of gloomy prospects.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 17, 2012
    ISBN9781464033988
    The Coalwood Way: A Memoir
    Author

    Homer Hickam

    Homer Hickam (also known as Homer H. Hickam, Jr.) is the bestselling and award-winning author of many books, including the #1 New York Times memoir Rocket Boys, which was adapted into the popular film October Sky. A writer since grade school, he is also a Vietnam veteran, a former coal miner, a scuba instructor, an avid amateur paleontologist, and a retired engineer. He lives in Alabama and the Virgin Islands.

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    Reviews for The Coalwood Way

    4/5

    62 ratings5 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I've read this book at least twice, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. If you know the story portrayed in the movie October Sky, then you would enjoy this book. This was meant as a Christmas story, but it's mostly about growing up in a small coal mining town. The rocket building and the Rocket Boys are part of it, but this book goes deeper, looking at all aspects of life in Coalwood.
    • 5/5
      If you had asked me after I finished Rocket Boys, the first part of Hickam's biography, I would have told you it was deeply personal and very real. After finishing this second installment I can honestly say that there was much more to come. Rocket Boys covered the years from Sputnik to high school graduation in 1960. Coalwood Way covers only the fall of 1959 but it covers that period in an in-depth way that shows just how powerful a writer Hickam is - and how traumatic such a short period of time can be to a teenager. The first book spend most of its time covering the building of the rockets and the development of the relationships between the boys and the adults who helped or hindered that project. The 2nd book is much more insular, dealing with Sonny's relationship with his parents and brother, with all its ups and downs. As always, the coal mine in Coalwood, WV plays a major role as the town revolves around its workings.

      This is a great series of books and I can't wait to read the next episode.
    • 4/5
      Another visit to the author's hometown of Coalwood. The previous book focused on home-built rockets. This one is about adolescent angst, family relationships, and life in a small mining town. Enjoyed it very much.
    • 4/5
      If you read "Rocket Boys", you will love following the continuing story of Sonny. If you haven't read it, you can still easily get wrapped up this story and transported to Coalwood, WV. I loved this book!
    • 5/5
      An excellent memoir. A lively and enjoyable supplement to his first book, October Sky. A good story to have told and well written. Clearly, Homer Hickam might have had a successful career as an author rather than an engineer. With the two books that I have read to date he is well on his way. Sam Taylor has written a more comprehensive and enlightening review which should encourage you to read this book.