The Miner's Daughter by Gretchen Laskas

This is a story about a Willa Lowell and her family during the depression. They live in a mining town that is dying. The black dust from the coal is everywhere. Families struggle to find food. Clothes are threadbare. Older children, including Willa have had to leave school to help their families survive. Yet even in these conditions, it is a story of strong family love and support. Hope arrives for Willa, who dreams of a better life, in the character of Miss Grace. She moves in and brings with her the world of books and a desire to help Willa learn about the world outside Riley Mines and what it had to offer. Willa's family is offered a chance to escape the mines and move to a better place. Willa is excited until she discovers that there is a price and that she will have to leave people behind that mean a great deal to her. It is a story of love and courage and hope. I give it a YAY with a reservation that I am not sure how wide spread the reader appeal will be.