The Boy with the U.s. Miners

The knockers haunt the tunnels below. For generations, miners have whispered of these spirits - the souls of those who died in the dark, warning the living with hollow knocks against the coal face. Young Anton Rover has grown up on these stories, and now, descending into the shafts as a new apprentice, he must decide whether to believe. Francis Rolt-Wheeler's 1911 adventure captures both the brutal physicality of early 20th century coal mining and the weight of its ancient folklore. Anton learns his trade under two very different mentors: the practical, no-nonsense Clem Swinton, who teaches him safety and solidarity, and old Otto, a grizzled hand who speaks of knockers with the conviction of a man who has heard them firsthand. The world above is picket lines and lantern light; the world below is something else - a labyrinth of shadow and firedamp where a single spark means death. When disaster strikes in the deep tunnels, Anton must confront not only the real dangers of collapse and flooding, but the ancient question of what truly lives in the dark. This is a story about the men who dig the world's wealth from the earth, and the fears they carry with them down.