By Stephen Ivancic

What Happened at the Bruce Mine Shaft?

In a climate of lawlessness and bigotry on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota during the late 1920’s, Joe and Sara, two young people on the verge of adulthood, get caught in the struggle of the Finnish to assimilate into American society. The incident at the Bruce Mine shaft and its subsequent repercussions expose them to the manipulations of those in power, the ruthlessness of the mining moguls, and the difficulties of asserting their rights through organizing.

This book is historical fiction. Most of the characters in the book are fictional with the exception of the political figures and Bill Haywood who was a central figure in the IWW. While the events and the story are fiction, too, the routines, locations, and practices are real. To receive more information about these, the author has created several Illets. View these here.

Readers’ Comments

“This is a story about family traditions, holding on to what is right, and not looking the other way when you feel something is wrong. What happens at the Bruce Mine Shaft keeps you engaged and on your toes to the end to figure out the plot. The book makes you think about what it was like for people fighting for better working conditions and the politics that goes along with it. In many ways we still have some of the same politics in today’s world.” Teresa

“Great book. I liked the story. I lived in that area for about ten years, and the stories I heard were much like the ones in the book. What made this book fun were the twists and turns the book started to take once you thought you knew what was going on and how it might end.” Rich

Chapter Titles

  1. Naked Family Sauna
  2. Orchestra Pit
  3. Baby Chicks
  4. Duluth Opportunity
  5. English Class
  6. Fish Slime
  7. Spies
  8. Unfamiliar Hunters
  9. Maintenance Shop Scuffle
  10. Dissection
  11. Co-op Mouse
  12. The “Fight”
  13. Worlds Collide
  14. Sneak Visit
  15. Powers That Be First Meeting
  16. Special Assignment
  17. Out-of-Control Bonfire
  18. Set Up
  19. Confession
  20. Conspiracy
  21. Graveyard Discovery
  22. Fermented Worm Juice
  23. Gruesome Revelation
  24. Cover Up
  25. Special Audition
  26. Construction Diversion
  27. Assassination Plot
  28. Double Moon
  29. Revelation
  30. Coffin Procession
  31. Woods Murder
  32. Ambush
  33. Dedication Disruption
  34. Aftermath
  35. Unexpected Announcement

 

 

$16.99 plus tax and shipping