Tarentum

In 1915, Tarentum bustles with activity. One of a string of river towns supplying the flourishing steel industry of greater Pittsburgh, Tarentum means everything to the people that live there. But that doesn't make their work any easier, and many toil long hours just to survive. For town resident Arthur Gluck, the stakes become even higher when fate intervenes. Struggling to support his large, growing family, he is involved in a mysterious streetcar accident that renders him partially disabled. As the trolley driver, Arthur compounds his woes when he believes he must take in Charlie, a boy orphaned by the disaster. Challenges mount for the beleaguered Glucks at a time when they have no safety net. His wife's poor health, more mouths to fill, a friendship badly betrayed, and continual pain feed a depression that threatens to swallow Arthur and his family. How to clamber back falls to the two young people, Charlie and eldest daughter Mary Gluck, who come of age as this bittersweet saga unfolds.