Sewn in Coal Country

Edited by Robert P. Wolensky

$39.95, Penn State Press

By the mid-1930s, Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal industry was facing a steady decline. Mining areas, including the Wyoming Valley around the cities of Wilkes-Barre and Pittston, were full of willing workers, including women, who proved attractive to New York City’s “runaway shops”—ladies’ apparel factories seeking lower labor and other costs. The area became a thriving hub of clothing production and union activity. Sewn in Coal Country tells the story of the area’s apparel industry through the voices of the men and women who lived it. 

Pennsylvania Patriots

By Joe Farrell, Lawrence Knorr and Joe Farley

$19.95, Sunbury Press

The biographies and grave information for 44 Founding Fathers (and Mothers) responsible for the birth of the United States. 

Us Two Together

By Ephameron

$29.95, Penn State Press

Artist Ephameron narrates her father’s slow descent into early-onset dementia, layering sequential images under text to depict her father’s decline and her family’s experience caring for him. 

Whisper Music

By J.B. Toner

$16.95, Hellbender Books

Danyaela Morrigan becomes afflicted with the power to enter the spirit world and touch the soul of every human being at will. 

History Picks

The Susquehannocks

Edited By Paul A. Raber

$29.95, Penn State Press

The eight essays in this volume provide original views on various aspects of the Susquehannocks’ history, including their origins, geographical spread and contact with nonnative cultures. 

Historic Pennsylvania

By Mindy Gulden Crawford

$21.95, Globe Pequot Press

Tour the Keystone State and travel back in time to discover the unique stories of the state’s history.