The Shadow Miner
BLURB
"At night, I dream of the light, of the sun and a sky so far away that it can never be touched and when I wake in the morning, and the day begins, I can’t shake the feeling that we were never meant to live in the dark."
Born into slavery in the shadow mines of the south, all Miri knows is a world of darkness until a terrible cave in frees her and she emerges on the surface and discovers the land of light. But even in the land of light, the shadows of the past cling and Miri must learn to take her place in the Great Story and help those around her to do the same.
EXTRACT
Unlike Miri, Sara barely noticed the burgeoning new life brought on by the night’s rain. She walked with grim determination, angrily shutting out the small insistent voice that told her she should go back. As the sun reached its zenith, she sat and rested in the shade of a lonely boab tree. The trunk was round and swollen. A few solitary leaves clung to mostly naked branches that reached like strange distended fingers towards the sky. Ants scurried busily nearby, and a pair of magpies eyed her curiously. Her ribs ached, and she leant her head back against the rough bark in weary desperation. Too tired to go any further, she stayed that way for the rest of the afternoon, watching in silence as the sun descended lower in the sky and darkness consumed the earth once more. The air was warm and, too tired to light a fire, she soon fell into a restless and uncomfortable sleep.
During the night, Sara was woken by an otherworldly howling in the distance. The sound echoed and reverberated across the desert landscape. Another dingo joined the chorus, and soon the air was filled with their mournful cry. The sound of the dingos stirred something deep within her and tears filled her eyes. Sara had never felt so alone. Staring up at the night sky, she wanted to scream, to tell the world about all the terrible things she had seen and done. But, the sound wouldn't come. She bowed her head and let the tears flow silently down her cheeks.
"At night, I dream of the light, of the sun and a sky so far away that it can never be touched and when I wake in the morning, and the day begins, I can’t shake the feeling that we were never meant to live in the dark."
Born into slavery in the shadow mines of the south, all Miri knows is a world of darkness until a terrible cave in frees her and she emerges on the surface and discovers the land of light. But even in the land of light, the shadows of the past cling and Miri must learn to take her place in the Great Story and help those around her to do the same.
EXTRACT
Unlike Miri, Sara barely noticed the burgeoning new life brought on by the night’s rain. She walked with grim determination, angrily shutting out the small insistent voice that told her she should go back. As the sun reached its zenith, she sat and rested in the shade of a lonely boab tree. The trunk was round and swollen. A few solitary leaves clung to mostly naked branches that reached like strange distended fingers towards the sky. Ants scurried busily nearby, and a pair of magpies eyed her curiously. Her ribs ached, and she leant her head back against the rough bark in weary desperation. Too tired to go any further, she stayed that way for the rest of the afternoon, watching in silence as the sun descended lower in the sky and darkness consumed the earth once more. The air was warm and, too tired to light a fire, she soon fell into a restless and uncomfortable sleep.
During the night, Sara was woken by an otherworldly howling in the distance. The sound echoed and reverberated across the desert landscape. Another dingo joined the chorus, and soon the air was filled with their mournful cry. The sound of the dingos stirred something deep within her and tears filled her eyes. Sara had never felt so alone. Staring up at the night sky, she wanted to scream, to tell the world about all the terrible things she had seen and done. But, the sound wouldn't come. She bowed her head and let the tears flow silently down her cheeks.