It's the 1840s in a Victorian mining town and disaster is about to strike. For young John Elliot and his family, life in the shadow of the grinding colliery wheel has always been hard, but there is no alternative for them. The risks are huge and the rewards are few.

Part of a unique collection of fictional stories about young people caught up in real-life conflicts and disasters. Through their eyes we experience the day-to-day hardships and dangers of living through troubled times from throughout history.