Welcome to Litsy!

Got my new Chicago library card, FINALLY back to a routine and picking up my TBR.
I attempted this book earlier but I wasn‘t in the right head space. This time around I can totally recommend it to any of my Midwestern people.

Eh.... this one didn't really do it for me. I kept putting it down (audio) then forgetting about it. I felt it could've been edited better, it was somewhat verbose. I can't say I really disliked it , but I don't think it'll stick with me and I'm happy it's finished.

In a way, this book is about everything. The collision of a generation & a recession. The effect of mental illness on relationships & jobs. The fear that rape, Trump, & the patriarchy instills in some women, & how this can erode faith in the Church.

Eliese is like a lot of millennials: overeducated, in debt, & underemployed. Her bipolar disorder has also kept her from holding steady work. This is her story of taking a job at a steel mill in 2016.

I‘m 9 hours into this and surprised there hasn‘t been more hype about it. I find Eliese to be very honest and genuine in her delivery and she‘s laying waste to the preconceived notions I didn‘t even realize I had about steel workers. Her story is so much more than that though.

@Megabooks and @britt_brooke I think you would both enjoy this one! (Meg I saw you already commented on @Cinfhen ‘s review. Hopefully your library ordered the audio!)

A moving, beautiful memoir. Also super educational, as I learned so much about how steel is made and about factory/shift work culture. I could identify a lot with her intellectual/spiritual/political journey. I did the audiobook and think I might have preferred the print in this case, but I recommend the content and Goldbach‘s writing highly. (She details some tough personal experiences, which I can mention in a spoiler comment if anyone wants.)

Overall this was an interesting memoir, well written with a good dose of humor to offset some of the heavier content. Eliese Goldbach, a promising student finds herself adrift after completing her schooling. At 26 she‘s just getting by painting houses, when her friend suggests she apply for a job at the steel mill; a place that has loomed large over her entire childhood. Soon the mill & all it‘s many workers start to fill a void in her life. 👇🏼

Just started this #ARC and I have to say, I‘m smitten 🥰 Great writing!!! Author has a natural gift for storytelling and so far her personal history and experience is entertaining. #NetGalley