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candacemressler's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
reasie's review against another edition
4.0
My favorite parts were the glimpses inside the steel mill. It's cool she had different jobs in different areas to talk about! The hot dip was the coolest, though.
It's interesting to see how different someone's life can be when they live in the same city and are almost the same economic level. There were a couple times I thought "oh hey, I was there, at that event -- a person in the crowd described on the page."
It's interesting to see how different someone's life can be when they live in the same city and are almost the same economic level. There were a couple times I thought "oh hey, I was there, at that event -- a person in the crowd described on the page."
ecidnac's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
miguelf's review against another edition
4.0
Somewhat in the mold of other recent self-experiential books about growing up in the heartland (Hillbilly Elegy, Educated), Rust presents the journey of a woman taking a job at a local steel mill post-college and a following a job painting walls in Cleveland. The angle here would purportedly be showing the socio-economic realities on the ground in the Midwest, but the reality is that the number of extant mills has been ever shrinking and this is more a window into the economic past rather than a commentary on our present. More pertinent to our times would have shown a service related job. Still, the personal story itself is compelling and deeply felt and Goldbach competently tells her plights including bouts with bipolar disorder, overcoming a harrowing incident in college, all the while without asking for pity or requiring judgment. I had put this book on hold thinking it was more of a discussion on heartland job and economic conditions, but stayed for the well told story.
yilliun's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really fascinating and compellingly written memoir looking at the author's experience working in the Rust Belt in a steel mill, particularly so because of the connections she draws to how she ended up there based on current politics, her education, religious upbringing, class, mental health, and the complexities of a recession. Her commentary and self-awareness of privilege, juxtaposed against her experience with mental health and sexual assault related trauma particularly, was really well developed alongside the everyday issues she encountered as a woman working in a male-dominated workplace.
What I felt was missing was perhaps another chapter or so from Goldbach reflecting on her transition into academia, and how her time in the steel mill informed and impacted that - I found that quite compartmentalized, which seemed at odds when compared with how much earlier parts of her life influenced her time at the steel mill.
I would have also been fascinated to see photographs of some of the more technical aspects of her work in the mill (perhaps more wishful thinking on my part as I found these descriptions so fascinating! I would have loved to have seen the scale of some of the work tasks she performed, for example).
Many thanks to Flatiron for a review copy
What I felt was missing was perhaps another chapter or so from Goldbach reflecting on her transition into academia, and how her time in the steel mill informed and impacted that - I found that quite compartmentalized, which seemed at odds when compared with how much earlier parts of her life influenced her time at the steel mill.
I would have also been fascinated to see photographs of some of the more technical aspects of her work in the mill (perhaps more wishful thinking on my part as I found these descriptions so fascinating! I would have loved to have seen the scale of some of the work tasks she performed, for example).
Many thanks to Flatiron for a review copy
dannb's review against another edition
2.0
I think the synopsis creates a misperception of what this book will be for the reader. Hence my rating.
It’s (IMO) repetitive and feels unorganized; however, she may be trying to help the reader get a glimpse into her bi-polar (not a spoiler) disorder.
It’s (IMO) repetitive and feels unorganized; however, she may be trying to help the reader get a glimpse into her bi-polar (not a spoiler) disorder.