Sarah Loudin Thomas writes historical novels that honor the people and natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, and The Finder of Forgotten Things from Bethany House Publishers is her newest book.
Set in 1932, the plot features the real-life but little-known industrial tragedy caused by unsafe working conditions while creating the Hawks Nest Tunnel in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia. Desperate to earn income during the Depression, laborers cleared rock from the construction site with no protection to their respiratory systems. More than 750 men developed "tunnelitis" from inhaling high levels of silica and died as a result.
The novel centers around three unique characters: a grifter who consistently promises more than he can deliver and leaves town before the consequences catch up to him; a salt-of-the-earth man who is pursuing the grifter to gain restitution for the way he swindled his townspeople; and a postmistress who knows the hearts and needs of the locals and begins caring for the Gauley Bridge workers when one of her own is involved.
This story of second chances includes a found button, a lost Bible, wells that may or may not produce much-needed water, and a memorable array of secondary characters.
Set in 1932, the plot features the real-life but little-known industrial tragedy caused by unsafe working conditions while creating the Hawks Nest Tunnel in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia. Desperate to earn income during the Depression, laborers cleared rock from the construction site with no protection to their respiratory systems. More than 750 men developed "tunnelitis" from inhaling high levels of silica and died as a result.
The novel centers around three unique characters: a grifter who consistently promises more than he can deliver and leaves town before the consequences catch up to him; a salt-of-the-earth man who is pursuing the grifter to gain restitution for the way he swindled his townspeople; and a postmistress who knows the hearts and needs of the locals and begins caring for the Gauley Bridge workers when one of her own is involved.
This story of second chances includes a found button, a lost Bible, wells that may or may not produce much-needed water, and a memorable array of secondary characters.
