A fictional novel based on actual events surrounding the underground coal mine fire in Centralia, PA which began around Memorial Day, 1962 and which continues to burn to this day. The town has been abandoned for all but 7 homes. The novel contains a great deal of history, and is an accurate portrayal presented metaphorically, in "Wizard of Oz" style.
First in a series of small town legend novels by author Andrew Shecktor, this novel combines history with fiction and is about the town of Centralia, PA, which was lost due to a coal mine fire which has been unable to be extinguished. It details the history and offers a fanciful story behind the history. Sample from the book: “More water! More water damn it! The fire is spreading!” From behind a fire pumper a soot covered black-faced fireman came running and shouting. “Around the other side! Quickly!.” Three more fire fighters joined in, sweat pouring from their brows in the 83 degree heat, made many times hotter by the raging fire, dragging limp cloth hose toward the quickly spreading fire that was reaching out in anger from the pit.
What "Silent Hill" should have been!
This story is based on an actual town legend and actual history. All historical details are factual, the demons represented are metaphorical. This is a unique story written on three levels. The first is the "campfire tale" level, basically just a fun novel to tell around the campfire. The second is the metaphorical level, where the demons represent the mining companies and mining interests and those fighting the demons represent the residents and others working for the miners and the town. The final and most important level is the overall reason for writing this novel - the personal beliefs of the author; on big business, politics religion and humanity in general. When you comprehend the story at this level you have read it correctly (it may take more than one reading to grasp the full complexity of the story.)
Excerpt
“More water! More water damn it! The fire is spreading!” From behind a fire pumper a soot covered black-faced fireman came running and shouting. “Around the other side! Quickly!.” Three more fire fighters joined in, sweat pouring from their brows in the 83 degree heat, made many times hotter by the raging fire, dragging limp cloth hose toward the quickly spreading fire that was reaching out in anger from the pit. “Charge the line,” screamed a scrawny teenage fireman. The hose they were carrying quickly filled and whipped along like a disturbed snake. The fire, in the pit of an old abandoned strip mine near the Odd Fellows cemetery was started once or twice a year to burn excess municipal rubbish, but had never gotten out of control, as did this one. This fire was started on May 27 to clean up rubbish and municipal waste in preparation for the Memorial Day celebration, and was then extinguished by the fire department and was thought to have gone out. It had again re-kindled on May 29 and was put out late in the evening. It again re-kindled on June 12, though not as bad. Now it had re-kindled yet again, this time with a vengeance, as if set by Satan himself. None of the locals had ever seen such an inferno. This was no ordinary fire. The flames leaping from the ground formed shapes resembling demons from Hell, the heat was melting fire apparatus staged many hundreds of feet from the pit.
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Compelling historical fiction that traces the life of a young English immigrant woman who travels to America at the turn of the century to start a new life for herself. Encountering danger, romance, heartache and tragedy, she strives to fit into a
