A few days ago, I completed my long-awaited pilgrimage to Coalwood, home to a fantastic coming-of-age adventure.

My drive through the West Virginia mountains on twisty, narrow roads was a journey I craved after reading Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, whose father was the town’s coal mine superintendent. I passed dilapidated towns left behind by a dying coal industry.

A lump formed in my throat when I first saw the Coalwood sign and later, his former house. I am no Homer Hickam, but I shared some of his family struggles from my own childhood. Like Homer, somehow I persevered. I admire his accomplishments beyond measure.

During the late 1950s, Homer Hickam and five buddies joined the space race by firing 35 homemade rockets in a West Virginia field. They formed the Big Creek Missile Agency and defied Homer’s dad and many naysayers with their incredible victories, which ultimately won ribbons at the National Science Fair.

They all won college scholarships, which saved them from lives in the coal mine. And Homer, who wrote his memoir nearly 40 years later, realized his dream of becoming a NASA engineer.

When I stood next to the Space Shuttle marker, I imagined the scene at the field when Homer, then 17, fired off his most successful launch as a crowd of townspeople cheered. He turned around and saw a person he would never have expected to see: his father.

Jake Gyllenhaal, then 17, played Homer in the hit movie October Sky. Now in his 80s, Homer Hickam is working on what he calls an “equal” film.

Two earlier posts briefly introduce all four books Homer Hickam wrote about his remarkable life. Second post. First post. Many thanks to Sue, who captured our journey in pictures.