The Blind Brother

First published in 1887, ‘The Blind Brother’ was one of American author Homer Greene’s earliest works. The tale follows the story of two brothers, 14-year-old Tom Taylor and his blind younger brother Bennie, and their experiences while working in the Pennsylvania coal mines. The boy’s father was killed in a mining accident some years previously, and now the brothers must work to make ends meet. A heart-warming story of brotherly love, the novel also gives a vivid insight into the daily life of a mine worker - detailing strikes, gangs and cave-ins.

Homer Greene (1853-1940) was an American author and lawyer from Pennsylvania. Greene began his literary career while still a student at college and wrote both stories and poetry. He wrote for the New York Evening Post, the Albany Evening Journal and the Albany Argus. Greene completed his well-known verse, ‘What My Lover Said’ whilst in his senior year at college. He went on to author a number of novels including ‘Burnham Breaker’, ‘Riverpark Rebellion’ and ‘Pickett’s Gap’. His most well-known story is ‘The Blind Brother: A Story of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines’.