Trolley Days : a novel of early 20th century America

Trolley Days is the story of two boys growing up in a great New England industrial city in the nineteen-teens. Jack Bernard, son of a mill worker who emigrated from Canada, is shy and socially a bit awkward; Tom Wellington, son of the mill owner, is self-assured and smooth-talking. For all their differences, the pair have much in common. They love fishing, sports, and riding the trolleys that ply city streets and country roads. Each family has been touched by tragedy, wounds of the heart that are slow to heal. In Chapter 1 Jack is bound for Boston as a blizzard approaches. Tom is in trouble, and while the pair have barely spoken in nearly six months, in Jack's mind Tom is still his best friend, and no snowstorm will prevent him from going to his aid. Soon they will be plunged into a baffling mystery, even as Tom's life hangs in the balance. Does friendship have its limits? Can bonds of trust, once broken, be repaired? Can we learn from life's tragedies and move on, or must we carry them like lead weights on our hearts forever? In Trolley Days, it seems it is the young who bear the heaviest of life's burdens and must marshal the strength to free themselves and their parents. "A joyful, engaging read from beginning to end...." Mark Ashton, Southbridge Evening News "Trolley Days... is a special gem of historical fiction...McMaster is a writer to watch." Winston Lavallee, author of Dancing in the Dark and Tempest in the Wilderness Trolley Days is the story of an unlikely friendship between two boys growing up in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in its industrial heyday. Jack Bernard is the son of a mill worker who emigrated from Canada, Tom Wellington the son of the mill owner. Jack is shy and socially a bit awkward, Tom self-assured and smooth-talking. But for all their differences, the two boys have much in common. They love fishing, sports, and all manner of youthful tomfoolery. Each has suffered the loss of a sibling, tragedies that have affected both families deeply. In the opening chapter a blizzard is approaching as Jack boards a train for the long trip to Boston. He has received a cryptic letter informing him that Tom is in a Boston jail. Despite a recent falling-out between the two, Jack still considers Tom his best friend, and he refuses to allow a snowstorm to prevent him from going to Tom's aid. Soon Jack will be plunged into a mystery that calls on all his courage and determination to solve, even as his friend's life hangs in the balance. To save his friend, Jack will need the assistance of Tom's sister, Anne, but that will require Jack and Anne to reconcile their fractured relationship. Does friendship have its limits? Can bonds of trust, once broken, be repaired? Can we learn from life's tragedies and move on, or must we carry them like lead weights on our hearts forever? In Trolley Days it seems it is the young who bear the heaviest of life's burdens and must marshal the strength to free themselves and their parents. "Trolley Days is the story of two boys growing up in a great New England industrial city in the nineteen-teens. Jack Bernard, son of a mill worker who emigrated from Canada, is shy and socially a bit awkward. Tom Wellington, son of the mill owner, is self-assured and smooth-talking. For all their differences, the pair have much in common. They love fishing, sports, and riding the trolleys that ply city streets and country roads. Each family has been touched by tragedy, wounds of the heart that are slow to heal"--Page 4 of cover