Crucible - by John Sayles (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From the Oscar-nominated filmmaker comes a complex and sweeping historical novel about Henry Ford -- the Elon Musk of his day -- and his attempt to rule not only an automotive empire but the rambunctious city of Detroit. It is an epic tale ranging from the 1920s through the second World War, featuring violent labor disputes, misbegotten jungle expeditions, a tragic race riot, and the gestapo tactics of Ford's private army . . .

Already the gateway for illegal Canadian liquor during Prohibition, the Motor City becomes a crucible for American class conflict during the Great Depression, with an army of laid off Ford workers drifting into the ranks of the burgeoning union movement -- Henry Ford's worst nightmare. To keep the hundreds of thousands still employed by him in thrall, the man who was formerly 'America's favorite tycoon' recruits black laborers migrating from the deep South to serve as 'strike insurance', and gives Harry Bennett, pugnacious as he is diminutive, free reign over the legion of barroom brawlers and ex-cons who make up the company's 'Security Department'.

The Model T mogul has also bought a sizable chunk of Brazil's Amazonian rainforest, vowing to grow his own rubber for tires, but stubbornly refusing to include a botanist in his troop of would-be jungle tamers. As a series of biological plagues descend on the Fordlandia plantation, the racial melting pot he has created in Detroit begins to boil over, and not even the Sage of Dearborn can control the forces that have been unleashed.

The novel's cast -- Ford workers black and white and their families, young radicals, cynical newsmen, gangsters, Brazilian rubber tappers, cameos from boxer Joe Louis and muralist Diego Rivera -- create the tapestry of differing points of view that John Sayles has become famous for, the events portrayed fundamental to the country we live in today.

Review Quotes

". . . an ambitious, polyphonic tale that captures America's industrial history through the panoramic lens of a social historian and the moral scrutiny of a dramatist. . . . A veritable ecosystem of struggle and aspiration, Sayles' historical tale is a fierce, symphonic reckoning with the cost of American progress." -- Booklist

". . . Sayles offers a propulsive view into the era's rapacious capitalism and rapid social changes. This textured tale will resonate with readers concerned about workers' rights and corporate greed." -- Publishers Weekly

". . .the message is simple and potent: Unchecked corporate power is a path to the mistreatment of humans, but people have the capacity, together, to win back their dignity. . . well-researched. . ." -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

John Sayles is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and novelist.
He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original
Screenplay, and once for the National Book Award. He has written eight novels, including, most recently, Jamie MacGillivray and To Save the Man.