Out of the Darkness

Out of the Darkness is based on the true story of a nineteenth-century child coal miner rising out of the ashes of poverty and tragedy to change the world. It's the story of greed, love, sacrifice, faith, and the courage to push aside fear and jump into the refiner's fire where the finest qualities of character are forged. New York City BB Award, Best Historical Fiction 2024 Prestigious Firebird Award, First Prize Historical Fiction 2024 Historical Fiction Company Award, Tolstoy European Silver Medal 2024 2024 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Winner "Brilliant . . . Spellbinding . . . Perfect in every way *", Online Book Club, 4-million readers In 1837, seven-year-old Thomas Wright followed in his family's footsteps into one of England's most dangerous coal mines. He struggled with childhood fears, working twelve-hour days, six days a week in the darkness 500-feet below ground. That was until disaster struck in one of England's most horrific accidents that changes the direction of his life and the course of history. This is the fast-moving story of a young boy overcoming the iron-fisted rule of the massively wealthy lord of the land, who not only owned much of South Yorkshire's coal mines and the villages in which the miners lived, but the mortgage on their lives. With the help of his family, he confronts the tyrannical system of industrial slavery, His Lordship's brutal psychopathic enforcer, and a society that fostered the oppression of the working class. From his desperate beginnings, we follow Tom on a path to a brilliant career, his love affair with a strong-willed woman, and his courageous fight to help change the course of industrial slavery in England. It's a masterfully told story of the great sweep of human desire for freedom and liberty; not just for himself, but for his children and his children's children. Like many immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century, Thomas Wright was drawn to what Abraham Lincoln called, "the last best hope on earth," and has left a vast American legacy, including his seven-year-old great, great, great, great grandson Cole, pictured on the front cover of this book.

David Jacinto was born into a family living on the wrong side of the tracks and has been a storyteller ever since. He was the first in his extended family to attend college, and as a student athlete at one of the most prestigious universities in the country, he received his degree in civil engineering. He went on to serve as a president of SM Engineering Company, held leadership roles in multiple national and international companies along the west coast of California, and was on the board of directors for a few more. He was also commandeered by the State of California on special assignment as chief engineer to help rescue California's three major utilities on the verge of bankruptcy during the highly publicized, 300-billion-dollar energy crisis in 2001. David has had numerous speaking engagements over his successful career, frequently interjecting colorful, fascinating, and humorous stories of his life experiences. Some of these stories are drawn from his ill-spent youth, some from his many business successes, and some from family experiences. But all delivered with the greatest respect for the opportunities America has afforded him and a thankfulness to those fallen leaves from the family tree of immigrants who made it all possible. Despite his business successes, he supposes his greatest achievements have been to convince the fetching Anne Gray to become his wife, the good fortune to be a part of the lives of his four wonderful children, their wives and husband, and the blessing to be Papa J to thirteen near-perfect grandchildren.