Join us at SCHS for a book signing with Bill Rowen, author of The Coal Cracker Chronicles – Tall Tales and Letters to Mom, a collection of short stories that paints a portrait of small‑town life while adding a touch of surrealism where the past and fantasy collide. Books available in SCHS gift shop.
Author Bill Rowan, born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania on a snowy April Fool’s Day long ago, grew up in the heart of the Anthracite coal region during the waning hours of its heyday. From laborer to business executive, memories of his unpredictable journey stirred him to discover a passion for storytelling during the 2020 lockdown. The Coalcracker Chronicles blends certain hard truths of small-town life while adding a touch of surrealism where the past and fantasy collide. As a tribute to his roots, his stories are filled with humor and nostalgia to honor the great spirit of those who spent their lives in the shadow of coal.
The Coalcracker Chronicles – Tall Tales and Letters to Mom invites you to visit the gritty villages, meet their well-seasoned residents, and experience a certain Christmas in a special way. In this powerful collection of short stories, Rowan paints a portrait of small-town life, filled with love and loss while occasionally taking a few detours around reality. Mostly set in the 1970s and 80s, experience the lives of hard-working individuals whose loyalty and resilience define them while the world around them shifts away from their traditional way of life. Filled with humor, heartache, and enduring characters, these stories explore the ties that bind families and communities together. If you’re apt to occasionally feel the pang of a distant memory or wistfully experience the urge to return to a place that no longer exists, The Coalcracker Chronicles may be the perfect vehicle to get you started on your personal journey homeward.
About the author:
Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, three score and some years ago, Bill Rowan spent his career managing textile operations and is currently president of an industrial fiber manufacturing company located in eastern Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Sherry, reside in York, Pennsylvania, after stints in upstate New York and Rhode Island. Their daughters live nearby in Lancaster County. He is an avid fan of baseball’s Baltimore Orioles and is famously inept around the local links. The Coalcracker Chronicles is Rowan’s first foray into writing. With luck, a novel will follow sometime in 2026.
