Coalwood Way, the: A Memoir The author of "October Sky" takes readers back to his West Virginia hometown in the fall of 1959. Homer "Sonny" Hickam and his fellow Rocket Boys are in their senior year, and the town of Coalwood is at a painful crossroads. The strain is also felt by Sonny's family. With the holidays approaching, the arrival of a beautiful outsider brings unexpected changes in both the Hickam family and the town. Full description