King Coal

In this classic novel by Upton Sinclair, young Hal Warner leaves home determined to discover the truth about conditions in the coal mines. He gets a job as a miner and lives in the mining community, seeing first hand their misery and exploitation at the hands of their bosses. He befriends Mary Burke, known in the camps as "Red Mary" for her flaming red hair, and together they fight for the rights of the miners. This novel is an excellent journey into a seldom-described world.