Red Helmet

Red Helmet is the newest from WV author Homer Hickam. Song Hawkins is a hard-working, no-nonsense New York businesswoman who falls in love with a mine superintendent from WV. They rush into a marriage which forces both of them to confront themselves and each other.

This is an enjoyable book to read, and Hickam is always true to the WV setting. As a native West Virginian, I find his characters ring true. My only quibble is the ending, which tidies everything up a might too quickly. It's plausible, but the timeline is a bit rushed.

This latest book of Hickam's has proven to be just as good as his other fiction. Perhaps I appreciated this book so much because my husband is from WV, and so many of the characters are just like people there I have met. I read the last third of the book in one sitting because I just had to know what happened. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat! I especially like the the text of the speech Hickam gave in honor of the miners who died in the Sago mine. Simply perfect.

Not of the caliber of his Coalwood trilogy. Seemed like he was trying to write a "chick-lit" coal mining story and it fell short in my eyes. Simplistic dialogue with a formula romantic relationship. Maybe he is trying to pull in untypical readers into his coal mining stories?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. It was a very interesting read with lots of information about coal mines. Populated with interesting characters, the book was fast and easy to read. Full review at http://passionforthepage.blogspot.com/2008/03/red-helmet-by-homer-hickam.html

Excellent book and great writng of Homer Hickam.This is the first book that I have read of his and it will not be my last. I just loved it. I finished the book in less than 3 days. I never knew much about mining until this. His experiences as a former coal miner and the fact that his father was a coal miner made the story . Homer brought his own experiences into it.