Whistle in the Dark - Hardcover

Long, Susan Hill

3.98

141 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823428397 ISBN 13: 9780823428397

Publisher: Holiday House, 2013

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Clem wants a dog for his thirteenth birthday, but what he gets is a miner's cap. It is the 1920's in Leadanna, Missouri, and Clem must become a man, leaving school and joining Pap in the lead mines––money is tight in the Harding household. Meanwhile, Lindy, whose face bears a scar from an accident that left her motherless, is forced to help her abusive father sell moonshine. As Clem searches for another way to support his family, the two become friends. Then disaster strikes: a death, a mining accident, and then a tornado. In the aftermath, Lindy takes advantage of her chance to flee Leadanna, and Clem is torn between following her and staying behind to help his family.

This beautifully written coming-of-age novel shines with true characters, a vivid setting, and heart-felt relationships.

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About the Author:

Susan Hill Long was inspired to write this book when she heard Garrison Keillor, on his program The Writer’s Almanac, talk about a group of men working underground in the mines, unaware of anything out-of-the-ordinary happening above until the power went out. It was the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925; nearly 700 people in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois were killed that day. Susan has worked as an editor and has written several books for beginning readers. Her awards include Bank Street College Best Books, and The Katherine Paterson Prize. This is her first novel.

From Booklist:

In the 1920s Ozarks, Clemson Jasper Harding is turning 13. While his birthday wish is for a dog, his gift from Pap is a miner’s cap and carbide lamp. As engaging historical fiction does best, this debut novel vividly brings to light a period in time where values prove timeless. Through Clem, the reader learns about the dangerous life of a child lead miner. Forced to help pay for his little sister Esther’s medical bills to treat her epilepsy, Clem grudgingly assumes his responsibility and adjusts his sights to the darkness underground, rather than the life he would prefer—attending school and writing stories. Then Clem discovers the illicit moonshine business through Lindy, his bullied school friend, who has her own family obligations to fulfill and a disfiguring facial scar that serves as a reminder of her burdens. In Long’s gentle rendering, what emerges from this story of overcoming obstacles are strong family bonds and Clem’s renewed resilience that points him toward a well-earned path to his dreams. Grades 5-8. --Gail Bush

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