The Black Diamond

"The Black Diamond" by Francis Brett Young is a story that follows Abner Fellows from boyhood to adolescence in a coal mining town, where he grows up with his miner father, John Fellows. The story captures Abner's youthful exuberance, like going to football games with his father and playing with his friends. Abner’s life evolves with the introduction of his stepmother, Alice, and shapes his journey toward adulthood. The narrative highlights the trials of working-class life and how Abner’s relationships with his father transform as he gets older while he starts to create his own identity.