An interesting look at hard and dangerous jobs. ( )

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars. It's a fascinating story and a glimpse into someone else's life that I really appreciate. But it was slow at times and dragged a bit. ( )

Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with a copy of this novel for review purposes.




Steel is the only thing that shines in the belly of the mill...







Plot:



This a memoir of a young woman who returns to her conservative hometown to work in the monster that is the backbone of their existence - the steel mill.



It was never Eliese's goal to work there, in fact, she had tried to escape her home town and follow her dreams. But when she needs to find financial security she moves home to work in the male dominant workplace of the mill.



Throughout the book Eliese introduces the world to the community and individuals she has grown to love.



AUTHOR DEETS - debut, old hand, how they are expert at this etc



Goldbach opens up about her rape and mental health breakdowns throughout this novel, so please take this into consideration if this is triggering for you.



Review:



I was first drawn to this memoir because of the woman in a male workplace narrative. As I grew up in a small town surviving on the back of a coal mine, I was interested to read Goldbach's experiences.



I got much more than I bargained for, and truly fell in love with her story.



One of my 'what if' daydreams is based on pursuing a career in aforementioned coal mine. Plenty of the boys in my HS gained apprenticeships, and I know the money there is good. There have been a few low moments in life I wish I could go back take this route.

Like a lot of kids who grow up in Cleveland, Ohio, I mostly wanted to leave.Eliese Colette Goldbach

So Rust really took me down that path of 'what if'.



There really is a dynamic to working in male dominant workplace as a woman. Especially as a young single woman. Especially if you aren't in a typical admin based role. Goldbach describes incidents where she had to play the game, to not take shit but not break the sacred camaraderie. Its a delicate game but she had good advise from her colleagues and has some wins.



The theme I was not expecting was the politics in the novel. Goldbach lives in a conservative state, and as an Australian I am learning the US political scene rather slowly. I was really invested in Goldbachs transition with her support, and her discussions with republican coworkers.







Raised religiously, Goldbach is let down by many of the institutions that she trusted in to keep her safe. From these experiences she begins to questions many of her beliefs, something I felt I could also relate to.



We learn how the men and women that work in the steel mill were exploited during political debate. As an insider Goldbach offers her insight and experience of that campaign. Watching her reality stereotyped on a national stage.



Lastly, Goldbach goes through the experience of living with a mental health diagnosis. We get front row seats her her manic phases, management and the effect it has on her personal and professional life. I especially appreciated the insight into her self awareness (or lack thereof) during this time. Knowing that her role and the circumstances of her job were not always helpful to her condition, and recognizing the start an episode.



These themes come up throughout the story, as Goldbach takes us through what it is to get your life together during 2016. To navigate being a woman in this decade, to feel defeated, navigate gender roles and tackle relationships.


I fell in love with this book, even if it isn't the sort of story that you might relate to as much as I did, the insight and commmentary from a woman in the industrial sector is well worth the read.








I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on Rust- A Memoir of Steel & Grit. Have you read this? Tell me what you thought!
Feel free to comment below or on my 'bookstagram' at @ReadWithWine .
This review was originally posted on ReadWithWine ( )

Woman with bipolar disease becomes steelworker. We, the reader, understand the danger of different departments of the steelmill as she works in them. We feel the brotherhood of the mill, and gain some
compehensiin of having bipolar disease thru this gritty, sometimes disturbing, but honest memoir. Recommended! ( )

Told education was the road to success, Eliese discovers that good paying careers or jobs are not plentiful. Once wanting only to leave Cleveland and the huge steel plant engulfing her city, she soon finds working at the mill was the only way to get a decent paycheck. With fear, many doubts and some humor, she describes this experience beginning with her orientation.

My second job when I left school was for a steel company. Started as an office asst. and moving up was promoted to an inside sales person. So I learned much more about steel than I ever thought I would, and yes the salary and benefits were terrific.

Her writing about her time in the steel mill was vibrant, the best part of the book for me. Interspersed in between she chronicles her personal struggles, among them a mental illness. She also is not shy about stating her political views, but whether I agreed with them or not, I felt they were overdone.

I enjoyed parts, struggled with others, but congratulate her on her accomplishments. She had much with which to struggle and overcame much. ( )