The Blind Brother: A Story of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines

"The Blind Brother: A Story of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines" by Homer Greene is a tale set in the late 1800s, telling of brothers Tom and Bennie Taylor and their difficult lives working in Pennsylvania's coal mines during a labor strike. Tom is committed to helping his blind younger brother Bennie get his sight back, showing the importance of family, what people give up for loved ones, and tough choices working-class people face. Bennie works in the mine as a door-boy, blind and needing his older brother's help, dreaming of saving enough money for an operation that might restore his vision, deepening their strong relationship. Their lives are disrupted when Bennie gets lost inside the mine, sending Tom on a dangerous search and testing their bond against a background of social trouble and big sacrifices.