A poignant tale of a once-proud Pennsylvania coal town destroyed by a mining disaster, Tawni O'Dell's second novel, Coal Run, follows its wounded inhabitants as they try to come to terms with what is gone and what remains. "The Great Ivan Z"--Ivan Zoschenko--is a mythical football hero who, after being injured on the eve of a promising professional career, heads for Florida (and the bottom of the bottle) for a decade before limping back to Coal Run and getting a job as deputy sheriff. The novel spans a week's time, but recollections and suppositions of the characters add depth; the book's an engrossing adventure in self-redemption and acceptance.
Multiple plot lines abound: Ivan keenly awaits the release from prison of his teammate, Reese Raynor, who beat his wife into a coma and whom Ivan visits regularly in the hospital; Reese's brother and his family struggle with many kids, little money and fewer prospects; Ivan's boyhood hero, Val, a Vietnam veteran who likewise spent years elsewhere, returns with eyes for Ivan's sister, a waitress, former beauty queen, and single mom. And, of course, there's a love interest. Stood up by her date, Ivan contemplates: "What could possibly be more important than sitting across a table from this woman and watching her put things in her mouth? I wonder as I take a seat." Despite somewhat predictable plot elements, O'Dell has the benefit of so many different story lines and characters to choose from that the novel is well-paced and allows her powers of observation to shine. For example, Ivan notes: "I need a drink. I'm not embarrassed or apologetic about the craving. Needing a drink isn't any worse than needing to collect Beanie Babies. I'd rather be a drunk than a moron."
Coal Run is a pitch-perfect story of a town's rediscovery that the best thing about it is its people and their ability to survive and retain a sense of pride, even after its identity and many lives were lost. --Michael Ferch
Multiple plot lines abound: Ivan keenly awaits the release from prison of his teammate, Reese Raynor, who beat his wife into a coma and whom Ivan visits regularly in the hospital; Reese's brother and his family struggle with many kids, little money and fewer prospects; Ivan's boyhood hero, Val, a Vietnam veteran who likewise spent years elsewhere, returns with eyes for Ivan's sister, a waitress, former beauty queen, and single mom. And, of course, there's a love interest. Stood up by her date, Ivan contemplates: "What could possibly be more important than sitting across a table from this woman and watching her put things in her mouth? I wonder as I take a seat." Despite somewhat predictable plot elements, O'Dell has the benefit of so many different story lines and characters to choose from that the novel is well-paced and allows her powers of observation to shine. For example, Ivan notes: "I need a drink. I'm not embarrassed or apologetic about the craving. Needing a drink isn't any worse than needing to collect Beanie Babies. I'd rather be a drunk than a moron."
Coal Run is a pitch-perfect story of a town's rediscovery that the best thing about it is its people and their ability to survive and retain a sense of pride, even after its identity and many lives were lost. --Michael Ferch
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Hardback Editions
May 2008 : Library Binding
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 1-4352-9301-0 / 978-1-4352-9301-4 Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
June 2005 : Hardback
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 0-7569-5717-6 / 978-0-7569-5717-9 (USA edition) Publisher: Perfection Learning Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 2004 : Hardback
| Title: Coal Run (Thorndike Core) Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 0-7862-6882-4 / 978-0-7862-6882-5 (USA edition) Publisher: Thorndike Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
January 2004 : Hardback
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell Publisher: Viking Availability: Amazon CA More details... |
2004 : Hardback
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 0-670-89995-X / 978-0-670-89995-1 (USA, AU, or UK edition) Publisher: Viking Adult Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
Paperback Editions
February 2009 : Paperback
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 0-7195-9550-9 / 978-0-7195-9550-9 (UK edition) Publisher: John Murray Publishers Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
June 2005 : Mass Market Paperback
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 0-451-21512-5 / 978-0-451-21512-3 (USA edition) Publisher: New American Library Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
January 2004 : Paperback
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell Publisher: THORNDIKE LARGE PRINT Availability: Amazon More details... |
Audio Editions
October 2004 : Audio CD
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 1-4159-0278-X / 978-1-4159-0278-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks Availability: Amazon Amazon CA More details... |
October 2004 : Audio Cassette
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell ISBN: 1-4159-0277-1 / 978-1-4159-0277-6 (USA edition) Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks Availability: Amazon Amazon CA More details... |
Other Editions
June 2005 : Kindle edition
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell Publisher: NAL Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
June 2005 : Kindle edition
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Tawni O'Dell Publisher: NAL Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 2005 : Unknown
| Title: Coal Run Author(s): Publisher: New Amer Library Availability: Amazon More details... |
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