We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from the Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie "October Sky" [Paperback]

Homer Hickam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2002

Today, fear affects even the strongest of us. Sometimes it's immediate, caused by a sense of imminent danger-the kind we felt after terrorists destroyed the magnificent World Trade Center, tore a giant wound in the Pentagon and killed thousands of people. But sometimes fear becomes a normal way of life.

In his best-selling memoir October Sky (aka Rocket Boys), Hickam introduced us to the rugged town of his youth, Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who took on the hazardous and often brutal enterprise of coal mining. To survive and prosper, these people relied on an approach to living that would get them through hard times with an almost unnatural resilience. Over a lifetime, they learned to take on these attitudes:

• We are proud of who we are.
• We stand up for what we believe.
• We keep our families together.
• We trust in God but rely on ourselves.

These attitudes are summed up in the Coalwood Assumption:

• WE ARE NOT AFRAID

Through poignant memories of his youth, best selling author Homer Hickam helps lead you beyond fear to find the courage and strength to live more happily and look toward to future with optimism.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hickam's latest book is a little different from the other feel-good stories that emerged nationwide after the September 11 attacks. What sets his stories apart is where they all take place: the mining town of Coalwood, W.Va., the setting for his bestselling memoirs Sky of Stone and October Sky. In this inspirational guide to overcoming fear, Hickam shares anecdotes from his life, mainly having to do with the values he learned in the small, humble town of Coalwood. Each chapter explains one of the "Coalwood Attitudes" ("we are proud of who we are"; "we stand up for what we believe"; "we keep our families together"; and "we trust in God but rely on ourselves"); Hickam then finishes by delivering the kicker (or "The Coalwood Assumption," as he calls it): "we are not afraid." Although it would be easy to dismiss his yarns and advice as hokey or cutesy, Hickam's retelling of a wholesome upbringing in Coalwood is quite touching and heartening, providing assistance for the uncertainty many Americans have dealt with recently and will continue to face in the months ahead. "In today's world, fear seems to be everywhere," he writes. "If you want to stop being afraid... this book can help by teaching you a philosophy of life that will fill your heart and soul with a sense of well-being and confidence." Reading about how Hickam handled bullies in the fifth grade or how he didn't let fear overcome him while fighting in Vietnam may not change what happened last September, but it will give readers the gumption to persevere when the going gets rough. (Feb.)Forecast: It's obvious HCI is not afraid of betting on this book: they're planning a $100,000 ad campaign, a 20-city TV and radio satellite tour and appearances on morning news and daytime talk shows. The 400,000-copy first printing ensures they'll be ready for the run.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Homer Hickam is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller October Sky (aka Rocket Boys) which received a National Book Critics Circle nomination and was named a New York Times Notable Book of 1998. He is the author of the "Coalwood Trilogy" (October Sky, The Coalwood Way and Sky of Stone), Back to the Moon and Torpedo Junction. He is also a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, retired NASA engineer, an Olympic torch-bearer, and the holder of Alabama's highest award for heroism. He lives with his wife in Huntsville, Alabama. Click here to visit Homer Hickam's website.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: HCI (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075730012X
• ISBN-13: 978-0757300127
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Homer Hickam (also known as Homer H. Hickam, Jr.) has been a coal miner, Vietnam combat veteran, scuba instructor, NASA engineer, and now a best-selling author.

Homer has always loved to write. In the third grade, his teacher, after reading one of his short stories, predicted he would make his living as a writer. He did a lot of other things and had a lot of other interests but writing was always his true passion. After returning from Vietnam, Homer started selling his work. At first, he mostly wrote about his scuba diving adventures for a variety of different magazines and then branched out into writing articles on history, mostly World War II but also some NASA-related work. His first book, Torpedo Junction (1989), the story of the U-boat war along the American seaboard during World War II, was a military history best-seller. It was published by the Naval Institute Press and Bantam. It is still popular and in print.

In 1998, Delacorte Press published Hickam's second book, Rocket Boys: A Memoir, which became an instant classic. It is often studied in schools and picked as a community or library read of the year. It has been translated into a dozen languages, most recently Vietnamese and Chinese.

In February, 1999, Universal Studios released its critically-acclaimed film October Sky, based on Rocket Boys. When speaking to groups, Homer often apologizes to the young women in the audience for not actually being Jake Gyllenhaal (Jake played him in the movie). Jake Gyllenhaal, when speaking to groups, often apologizes to adult women for not being Homer Hickam. They're actually good friends.

In 2011, Rocket Boys the Musical continued development on its march to Broadway (www.rocketboysthemusical.com). Homer is co-writer of the musical.

Homer's first fiction novel was Back to the Moon (1999) which has proved enduringly popular for more than a decade.

There are three more books in the "Coalwood" series after Rocket Boys (aka October Sky). They are The Coalwood Way, Sky of Stone, and We Are Not Afraid.

Homer also has a series of popular novels about Josh Thurlow, a Coast Guard officer during World War II. The series began with The Keeper's Son (2003), followed by The Ambassador's Son and The Far Reaches.

In 2008, his novel Red Helmet, a romantic love story set in a West Virginia coal town, was published. My Dream of Stars, the memoir of Anousheh Ansari, was published in March, 2010.

The Dinosaur Hunter, a mystery/western novel set in the ranch lands of Montana and reflecting Homer's love of both Montana and paleontology, was published in Nov. 2010.

His next novel, titled Crater, is set on the moon 120 years in the future and will be published April, 2012. It is the first in a planned trilogy known as the Helium-3 series.

Mr. Hickam continues to love the sea. He scuba dives and snorkels in the world's oceans. A new avocation is amateur paleontology. He has discovered two of the approximately forty T.rexes ever found.

Mr. Hickam is married to Linda Terry Hickam, an artist and his first editor and assistant. They love their cats and share their time between homes in Alabama and the Virgin Islands.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stories of Strength and Courage, November 22, 2002

By 

Matthew Dodd (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from the Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie "October Sky" (Paperback)

Homer Hickam wrote a very enjoyable and informative book about his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who helped nurture him as a young boy. With his childhood stories, he took me on a journey through time to a place that many today would dismiss as "old-fashioned," and Hickam would argue was "the way things can and should be."

Inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, Hickam reflected on his youth and realized the values he grew up with in Coalwood were what many people needed to move on with their lives following the tragic terrorist attacks on America. Hickam expertly wove his thoughts and experiences into the four "Coalwood Attitudes of Strength and Courage" (We are proud of who we are, We stand up for what we believe, We keep our families together, and We trust in God but rely on ourselves), which led to the "Coalwood Assumption" that most Americans found themselves either wanting to say or saying repeatedly following 9/11: "We are not afraid."

In his introduction, Hickam explains the purpose of this book: "If you want to stop being afraid, or if you want to avoid the habits of fear and dread, this book can help by teaching you a philosophy of life that will fill your heart and soul with a sense of well-being and confidence. It is a philosophy that was developed by real people who led good, happy and hearty lives while managing to raise a crop of children who went on to have successful lives of their own."

Hickam is a master storyteller, and his stories contained many powerful moral and inspirational passages. Some I related to as personal memories, others as things I missed growing up or never thought about, and still others as a father wanting his young son to experience in his childhood.

This book has a lot to offer to many different people with many different needs in many different situations. I encourage everyone to read this book and let Hickam take you on a journey of discovery into your heart and soul.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It made me cry with tears of joy, February 8, 2002

By 

Trula Spring (Salt Lake City, Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from the Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie "October Sky" (Paperback)

I love all of Homer's books. With Rocket Boys, Coalwood Way, and Sky of Stone, it was as if I was living right there with the people of his little mining town. This book is the same although much different. Rather than a story that goes from beginning to the end, it is filled with the wisdom of a "people who always lived in perilous times." I didn't realize it but I am also a victim of long-term fear. Something always seemed to be holding me back from going to college, now that my children are out of the house. No more. Homer has shown me how to over come everything that has been keeping me from doing what I should, to really enjoy life. I am proud of who I am. I stand up for what I believe. I will keep my family together. I trust God but will rely on my self. I cried tears of joy reading this book, laughed out loud in so many places. It is a treasure of a book that you will never regret reading, learning, savoring for all the days of your life.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!!!!!!, February 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from the Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie "October Sky" (Paperback)

Hands down one of the greatest books I have ever read! Time to stop dreamin' and start taking some action. Homer Hickam has the gift of lifting you up higher than any mountain in West Virginia. I laughed and I cried...as I do through all of his books. But this one really grabbed my heart and made me realize that I am somebody too. We are truly lucky to have such a talent share his life (past/present) with us. If you are feeling blue or simply just down and out, I recommend that you read this book. I know that you will enjoy it as much as I did!