My Loving Vigil Keeping by Carla Kelly

5 STARS

I did not know about the diaster that happened in 1900 and feel bad about that lack of knowledge. Right now I wish I had a car that was working I would go up the canyon and visit the cemetary. I wonder how many of my town of Fairview were a part of that mine.
The coals mines are a major employer of are town still today.
I loved the characters and now wonder who might have been real and what parts of the story is fiction. I could picture the train rides up the canyons so well. Carla told a compeling story of life in the coal mines of the 1900s.
I have always wondered why married women could not be teachers and when that changed.
Della Anders's father died in a mine and was sent to her Uncle in Salt Lake City to live with his family. He was well paid lawyer but his wife and daughters never welcomed her into the family. Never bought her clothes when she out grew them but a kindly librain took matters in her own and helped her to become independant and arranged jobs, lessons in sewing clothes.
Della because of her became a teacher after teaching two years in the west side of town she decided to teach in a mineing town for a year.
Owen Davis is a miner and proud of it. He is also a widower who still loves his deceased wife. He has a little girl Anghatad who is just starting school this year.
Owen is also a wood carver and he made lots of wooden letters for for the younger classrooms so his daughter would feel at home there. He was the choir directer and
was always trying to get Della to join the choir.
This is a tear jerker especially when you realize that it really happened so many men and boys that died in the mine. I am glad that I read it, eventhough I went through a lot of tissue.
I like how she told Mr. Auerbach about the children she taught. She also sent him pictures the children drew on the magic paper. I remember going to Auerbach department store. and all the windows that were decorated for the seasons.
This is a very clean read except for all the coal dust.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. I also won a copy of it from LDS Retailers Blog and plan to give it to a friend to enjoy too.
08/14/2012 PUB Cedar Fort Imprint Bonneville 440 pages