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If Willie could have his dream, he would go to Sable Island and ride free over the sand dunes on the back of a wild horse. Instead, at eleven years old, Willie has to go to work in the coal mines of Cape Breton, hardly ever seeing the light of day. But with the help of Gem, the gentle pit pony he works with in the mine, he discovers that things aren't always as bad as they seem. "Pit Pony" is a beloved classic of children's literature, and has been turned into a movie and a television series. For this new illustrated edition, the story has been retold in an abbreviated version for young readers and is vividly illustrated by acclaimed illustrator Sydney Smith.
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Willie is an eleven-year-old boy living in Nova Scotia in the early 1900s. His father and older brother both work in the coal mines. Willie knows he will have to work in the mines when he gets a little older, but he longs to work with what he loves, horses.
This book for me was an eye-opening experience into the lives of people of the past. Accidents in the mine, explosions, dust, poisonous gases, wearying work, consumption—all these were a routine part of life working in the mines.