You never really know what you’re going to find when you look into your family history.
In Encinitas author David Jacinto’s case, an exploration of his ancestry opened the door to a story of overcoming adversity the likes of which he had never seen before.
The result is “Out of the Darkness,” a work of historical fiction based on the life of Jacinto’s great-great-grandfather and the journey he took from working in the coal mines of 19th-century England as a child to later success in America. Jacinto will discuss and sign copies of the books on Thursday at Warwick’s in La Jolla.
Jacinto’s journey into his own past started when his mother was sick with cancer several years ago. “She was orphaned as a child, so we never discussed her biological family,” he said.
But knowing that death was imminent, she shared what she knew about her family.
“She said she wanted to be buried in the family cemetery in Wyoming, which I knew nothing about,” said Jacinto. “When she died, which was about a week later, we went to the cemetery and the largest tombstones were my ancestors. I knew nothing about them beyond what my mom had just told me.”
Fascinated by his family’s roots in the small town, Jacinto spent the next two years researching his ancestry at nearby genealogical libraries and historical societies. He learned his great-great-grandfather, Thomas Wright, had started working in coal mines at age 7 in 1837. He grew up in “poor, dire circumstances,” Jacinto said, but with a mother who wanted more for her children.
From there, Jacinto weaved together a fictional story based on Wright and his journey to the United States.
“The people and the events are real, but the relationships between the family and the struggles with aristocracy are fabricated,” Jacinto said. “I spent hours thinking about how those relationships must have been and delved into how they met different people based on what I knew, and I built a story around it. It was a very emotional thing to do, especially when it is your family.”
Throughout the story, Wright is encouraged by his mother — who works in the home of a wealthy coal mine owner and landlord to the surrounding village — to become educated and escape the mines. Wright eventually becomes imioned about stopping child labor and works with Queen Victoria to change acts of Parliament.
But soon after, Wright has a conflict with his mother’s employer, which prompts him to move to the United States and work on the transcontinental railroad. In doing so, he helps build one of the largest tunnels in the world at the time.
“One of the fundamental themes of the book is the ability of people to start very poor and … rise above and be successful at something. That is the American dream,” Jacinto said. “I want the reader to have an example we all can follow. We can start in awful circumstances and end up living in places like La Jolla.”
“Out of the Darkness” by David Jacinto (Forefront Books, 2023; 395 pages)
Warwick’s Presents ‘Out of the Darkness’ author David Jacinto
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Warwick’s bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla.
Tickets: Free (or $26 for a reserved seat and a copy of the book)
Online: warwicks.com/event/jacinto-2023
Mackin-Solomon writes for the U-T Community Press.
