Publisher's Synopsis
During the years in American History from 1907 to 1914 the development of steel production in Pennsylvania dominated its economic growth. Edward Rauth, the son of German immigrants, controlled his steel mills with little thought for the men who worked in them. Jack Oehler, one of those workers, and his family portray the plight of their working class existence. The startling contrast between the privileged lives of the Rauth family and the lives of the steel workers and their families reveals harsh differences between the "haves" and "have nots." Sarah Oehler and her sister Ruth become maids in the Rauth household. A chance meeting in the Rauth's library brings Sarah Oehler and Joshua Rauth, the son of Edward Rauth, together. A passionate attraction is ignited between them that the passage of time does not diminish. However, the rules of society prevent Sarah and Joshua from being with each other until a series of uprisings among steel workers all over Pennsylvania alter these rules. Based upon true events, this story of two families and their struggles for survival is vividly revealed through the experiences of several characters who are also searching for a Patch of Sunlight.
