Tommy Quinlan's life is filled with the color black. As a worker in a coal mine in the years leading up to World War I, Tommy spends the majority of his time in the dark and emerges from the mine covered in coal dust. His widowed mother spends her days doing laundry for the both the miners and mine owners, trying to wash out the blackness. In Gloria Skurzynski's novel, ROCKBUSTER, Tommy rises above the various hardships that threaten to overwhelm him and refuses to see the world in simple black and white. Instead, he looks beyond the stereotypes that cause conflicts between miners and mine owners.

Tommy's life is punctuated by tragedy. First, his father was killed in a mining accident. Then, on the way to the trial of a union leader, Tommy's beloved uncle is killed by Pinkerton detectives for his part in various union activities. As if that weren't enough sadness for one young life, Tommy's mentor, Peter, loses a leg in a mining accident. Through all of these trials, as well as through a layoff at the mine, Tommy is sustained emotionally and financially by his talent for playing the guitar and singing. Indeed, Tommy is so talented that he is chosen as the new voice for the union --- after union hero and folk singer Joe Hill is condemned to death.

Joe Hill is a historical figure whose real–life trials provide an important backdrop to the action of ROCKBUSTER. One of the great strengths of the book is the subtle ways in which Skurzynski reveals historical detail. Instead of filling the pages with all the things she discovered about early 20th century coal mining towns, Skurzynski lets the details work into the story naturally. From small details (Tommy's search for an outhouse after a snow storm) to larger historical events (Tommy attends the trials of Hill), Skurzynski teaches history without slowing the story.

That's good, because Tommy's story is a good one. While it is made up of some fairly common themes --- young man overcomes hardship to help his family, win the girl and discover his destiny --- Tommy is a compelling character whom the reader comes to see as a friend. His joys and sorrows are felt by the reader, and his indecision about his future is agonizing for the reader as well. His commitment to bridging the gap between the haves and the have–nots leads to a logical and satisfying conclusion to the novel.

ROCKBUSTER succeeds on both historical and narrative levels and should be enjoyed by anyone drawn to strong characters and good storytelling.

   --- Reviewed by Rob Cline (RJBCline@aol.com)

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