With the same dazzling storytelling that distinguished his first memoir, homer hickam takes us deeper into the soul of his west virginia hometown at a moment when its unique way of life is buffeted by forces of time and change. In these, the author remembers growing up in the west virginia coal town of coalwood in the late 1950s. With the title the coalwood way it is very easy to figure out what the book is about, and that is what its like to live in coalwood. Along with several high school chums, hickam built and. I enjoyed reading this installment of the coalwood trilogy. We are not afraid outlines the wisdom of a people who always lived in perilous times, and recommends their way of life as a model for living without fear. The coalwood way npr coverage of the coalwood way by homer h. The author calls it an equal, rather than a sequel to rocket boysoctober sky because the story happens during the same timeframe as the first book. His awards for writing are many and include the university of alabamas clarence cason award and shepherd universitys appalachian heritage authors award.
The author of torpedo junction a military history bookofthemonth club selection as well. A memoir mass market paperback 1 sep 2001 by homer hickam author. Now homer hickam continues his extraordinary story with sky of stone, dazzling us with exquisite storytelling as he takes us back to that remarkable small town we first came to know and love in october sky. The coalwood way by homer hickam book club discussion.
Hickam 2000, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. As you read this memoir, did you begin to feel as if you knew the people involved. This commentary and discussion questions were written by linda terry hickam, assistant and wife. Homer hickams second memoir takes us further into the soul of his hometown, coalwood, west virginia. If you are wondering what exactly homer means by the coalwood way i encourage you to read the book. The coalwood way is a story of the rocket boys and coalwood. Buy a cheap copy of the coalwood way book by homer hickam. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Do you think youd have been happy to live in coalwood in the late 1950s. The reader of homers coalwood books are able to experience this spirit. In the coalwood way he returns to his childhood home of coalwood, west virginia for an inspiring memoir about growing up in a town thats slowly fading away. In all three books, the author commemorates his hometown and its citizens with loving admiration. It tells of how he managed with being the son of the local mining companys superintendent. I followed rocket boys with two more bestselling books about life in coalwood, the coalwood way and sky of stone.
Another nice visit to coalwood i have read 4 or 5 of mr. His coalwood way is the 2nd of 3 in the series of coalwood. With the same dazzling storytelling that distinguished his first memoir, homer hickam takes us deeper into the soul of his west virginia hometown at a moment when its. This is not a continuation of rocket boys but a deeper showing of coalwood and its citizens during homers late teenage years late 1950s1960. After having finished homer hickams the coalwood way, i am even more convinced that the author is a true national treasure, a man so good and wise that his moral compass should be the one we as a people use to set our public and private ethics. Homer hickam books list of books by author homer hickam.
There are more than 1 million books that have been enjoyed by people from all over the world. The coalwood way is a deeper dive into the stories of coalwood and a future engineer and writer growing up there during the early years of the space race. Sky of stone is a followup to hickams two previous memoirs, rocket boys which was made into the movie october sky and the coalwood way. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Although i have many of homer hickmans books, this book moved me more. Hickam 2002, paperback at the best online prices at. Homer hickam was born and raised in coalwood, west virginia. There is a proud spirit among the citizens and that rare closeness that the word community stands for. So far rocket boys retitled october sky was the best 5 stars plus.
Always update books hourly, if not looking, search in the book search column. A memoir and millions of other books are available for instant access. Speedy delivery and more modern title and cover,was first printed as october sky. The author of october sky takes readers back to his west virginia hometown in the fall of 1959. The story opens in 1959 when sonny and his fellow rocket boys are seniors at big creek high, and coalwood finds itself at a painful crossroads. Get it today with same day delivery, order pickup or drive up. Buy the mass market paperback book the coalwood way. This reading group guide to homer hickams the coalwood way is designed to stimulate discussion and enhance the readers appreciation of this remarkable book. And people called the coalwood way, hickams followup to october sky, a heartwarmer. The coalwood way has 4 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. The people who developed this wisdom were the men and women who built the town of coalwood, west virginia, the location of homer hickams coalwood trilogy, october sky, the coalwood way, and sky of stone. Homers parents, though imperfect, are remembered for their humor, dedication and ingenuity. In the coalwood way, homer expands on that period during his final high school year when he was steadily improving the design and performance of his missiles, but before he won the national competition that was the culminating triumph of his first book.
In his bestselling memoir october sky aka rocket boys, hickam introduced us to the rugged town of his youth, coalwood, west virginia, and the people who took on the hazardous and often brutal enterprise of coal mining. He is the author of october sky, which was turned into a 1999 feature length film. Homer hickam is the author of many books including the acclaimed memoir rocket boys that was made into the film october sky. With the holidays approaching, the arrival of a beautiful outsider brings. Coalwoods houses were jammed between steep, humpbacked mountains packed so close together a boy with a good arm could throw a rock from one hill to the other. From publishers weekly in his bestselling memoir, rocket boys which became the 1999 movie october sky, former nasa engineer hickam. In this followup to his bestselling autobiography rocket boys, homer hickam chronicles. He is an american veteran and was an engineer for nasa.
But in its quiet, sentimental, comingofage way, hickams story is involving, and he paints a nice landscape. In this followup to his bestselling autobiography rocket boys, homer hickam chronicles the eventful autumn of 1959 in his hometown, the west virginia mining town of coalwood. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Homer calls it an equal, rather than a sequel because the story happens during the same timeframe as the first book. Hickam subsequently published three more books in the coalwood series. The coalwood way 2000 is the second memoir in a series of three, by homer hickam, jr. When i wrote my books about coalwood, i only hoped to write good stories to entertain my readers. In 1957, coalwood, west virginia, was a town the postwar boom never quite. In this followup to his bestselling autobiography rocket boys, homer hickam chronicles the eventful autumn of 1959 in his hometown, the west virginia mining town.