Out of the Darkness

Inspired by a true story, Out of the Darkness chronicles the journey of a nineteenth century child coal miner as he rises from the ashes of poverty and tragedy to reach for his dreams.

In his powerful debut novel Out of the Darkness, David Jacinto explores his family’s history and unpacks issues of class warfare and child labor against the backdrop of England’s Industrial Revolution. Readers meet Tommy Wright, a seven-year-old who follows in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, working in coal mines in Yorkshire, England. The work is brutal and life-threatening, but Tommy swallows his fears to help support his family, working alongside his father, twelve hours a day, six days a week. After disaster strikes and many of his friends die in a mine explosion, a devastated Tommy and his self-educated mother decide that Tommy and his siblings would have a different fate, one that would free them from the iron-fisted wealthy aristocrats who own the coal mines and villages families like Tommy’s call home.

As Tommy matures, he determines his own fate, defying the odds to excel in an engineering career and waging a noble fight against child labor. Bolstered by family, faith, and the love of strong, determined women, Tommy confronts his oppressors, eventually immigrating to America to pursue the life of his dreams.