Red Helmet - Softcover

Homer Hickam (also known as Homer H. Hickam, Jr.) is the bestselling and award-winning author of many books, including the #1 New York Times memoir Rocket Boys, which was adapted into the popular film October Sky. A writer since grade school, he is also a Vietnam veteran, a former coal miner, a scuba instructor, an avid amateur paleontologist, and a retired engineer. He lives in Alabama and the Virgin Islands.

Kirsten Potter's skilled narration captures the spirit of adventure and romance that ensues when young take-over specialist Song Hawkins meets and impulsively marries Cable Jordan, a handsome West Virginia coal miner. While Song reluctantly agrees to a week's honeymoon in Cable's hometown, she's confident he'll return to New York City. Potter uses regional accents to depict multiple characters of various ages in the mountain town of Highcoal. Her depiction of Song's introduction to "Red Hat" coal mining is spellbinding. With impeccable timing, she recounts problems with the environment, illegal drugs, theft, and a world economy that threatens to devastate West Virginia's coal-mining industry. By story's end, Song and Cable's differences are brought to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine