Conall is only twelve years old, but he's already worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania for several years. He spends his days deep underground with his faithful mule, Angel, carting loads of coal from the coal seams to the main shaft. There, elevators take the coal up to the surface. One day a tunnel collapses, and his brother and other miners are trapped on the wrong side! Will Conall and Angel be able to save them?

In this historical fiction, through the use of both archival images and his original artwork, acclaimed author and illustrator S.D. Nelson gives voice to the child laborers of our nation's past and to children today who face poverty, grueling labor, and dangerous work conditions. Included are an extensive author's note, a glossary of terms, a selected timeline, and a bibliography.

From the dust jacket