Out in Conception Bay, on the northern Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, sits tiny Bell Island, a tight-knit community where iron ore has been mined for centuries.

Slowpoke The Bell Island Mine Horse tells the story of eleven-year-old Jimmy, who enters the mine in place of his father, who died in a tragic accident years earlier. To help support his family, Jimmy must overcome his fear of the underground space, the unrelenting darkness, the rumble of tramcars, and the clang-clang-clang of pickaxes. He's not sure he's cut out for a miner's life until one day, his lamplight illuminates a beautiful horse named Slowpoke, with ears soft as velvet.

The two soon find they have more in common than they could have dreamed, and when tragedy rears its head again, it's up to Slowpoke and Jimmy to save the day.

(Nimbus Publishing 2021 - Publisher’s Page)

“I wish you would stay,” said Emily.

But Jimmy had to go.

Deep underground, where the earth was damp and rats skittered around in the dark.

Jimmy ruffled his little sister’s hair. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll be okay.”

- Slowpoke The Bell Island Mine Horse is a heartwarming tale of friendship and family, and offers the gritty story of the mining life — for both humans and horses — in nineteenth-century Newfoundland and Labrador.

Reviews

Atlantic Books

“In this heartfelt tribute to the miners of Bell Island, short sentences and simple, restrained prose quietly but powerfully capture Jimmy’s anxiety and fear, the stark reality of life in the mines … a sombre yet beautiful story of resilience and love.”