margaret_adams's review
An author whose own work history includes oil refineries and shipyards writes a short story collection centered mostly on women in the sphere of traditionally male, blue collar employment. Great writing from a new favorite author. Favorites: Seven Reasons, in which a rail yard worker considers the means and motivations for suicide, and Muscle Memory, in which an 18-year-old working in a tool crib at a shipyard wrangles welding lessons out of a disillusioned coworker.
acinthedc's review
4.0
Humorous and bleak, this collection of short stories are a window into the lives of characters struggling with their place in work and in life. Karlin doesn't just focus on females in predominantly male workplaces, she delves into their surroundings and other factors that shape who they are in short digestible bites.
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