Above and Below

by James Sturm

I like historical novels and comics quite a bit, so I figured this collection of two stories would be worth a look.  I hadn't realized these two stories, The Revival and Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight, with another story, make up the hardcover book James Sturm's America.

The first of these two stories is focused on a revival meeting that happened in Kentucky in 1801.  This meeting brought a large number of pilgrims, pioneers, and kooks into the area.  Sturm tells his story mainly through the actions of one particular couple, but he does an interesting job of portraying the variety of people swept up in the movement at the time.  It's an interesting little story.

Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight is more involved, as it tells the story of a failing coal mine in Idaho in 1886.  The mine was always marred with violence (the story opens on a group of miners attacking and killing a group of Chinese who had taken over the property), and when the nicer of the two owners is killed in an accident, things turn from bad to worse.

As the mine has not been making much money, the workers have not been getting paid.  Soon, the town is swept up in rumors of strikes, hidden gold, and the promise of bettering oneself through direct and violent action.  It's a cool story, and Sturm establishes and builds up his characters in a very short space.  I liked this story better than the first one.