The PA coal mines and "The Rag Coat"

The girls and I read a tearjerker of a book called The Rag Coat. I do not suggest reading it with your kids the first time you read it. I squalled through the whole reading. Both girls just watched me boohoo through the words. Minna is the main character and cannot afford a coat. Her Daddy is a coal miner who promises to get her a coat so she can go to school, he dies of miner's cough before he has the chance to make good on his promise. All the town Mommas come together with the cloth scraps to make Minna a rag coat, so she can go to school. She ends up being made fun of, but is still so proud of that coat... We have read the book several times and today we are here at Pioneer Tunnel. We are fixing to be carted through the old coal mine and Mady and Mika have to determine what could have caused Minna's dad to get so sick. Wish us luck as we brave the mine.