Husband, Father, Optometrist, Author, & Buddy's buddy !
Ernie Bowling was born in the coalfields of Eastern Kentucky and spent his formative years in coal towns. A third-generation coal miner, he spent nearly ten years working in several mines in West Virginia and Alabama before returning to college, the story which later became the inspiration for his first book, Coal Blooded, … More about About Ernie
At the high point of his young life, Charlie Justice sees it all change in a tragic moment. Now an orphan, he is forced to his ancestral home in the small Appalachian coal hamlet of Hellier, Kentucky.
Yet Charlie is no ordinary teenager. He is a natural athlete and a generational talent on the baseball diamond. His initial culture shock is lessened by the steadfast hand of his grandmother and the young love of a shy girl.
Thanks to his ability, the school enjoys baseball success and the depressed town finds a renewed pride. But as news of his talent spreads, he finds there are opportunities available beyond the close-knit village. Does he choose to leave, or stay in a place with little future but with people who love him?