History jumps off the page

Scranton Times
April 12, 2009

History jumps off the page
by Cheryl Kashuba

Irish Miners

"Call Me Kate: Meeting the Molly Maguires" (www.tribute-books.com), by Molly Roe, is fiction grounded in authentic history. Fourteen-year-old Katie McCafferty infiltrates a secret Irish organization to save her friend and prevent bloodshed. This book recreates, in vivid detail, life among the Irish coal miners in the days just before the Civil War. While the story provides a glimpse into the dangers of a mining community, it focuses on the draft practices that took Irish immigrants, sometimes against their will. The book is especially suitable for younger readers. But its careful rendering of facts makes it appealing to anyone interested in mining history and the history of Irish immigrants.

The book brings local history to life. Thoroughly researched, with careful attention to accuracy, it offers an authentic view into an interesting segment of our region's past.

The Lackawanna Historical Society carries a wide range of local history publications. For a listing, go to www.lackawannahistory.org or call the society at 570-344-3841.