First published 2021
The mountain highways demand skilled workers who can handle the dangerous job of drilling through rock and stone. These drill runners face daily hazards as they carve paths through treacherous terrain. The work requires precision, courage, and the ability to operate heavy machinery like jackhammers in conditions that test human endurance. Each day brings new challenges as the crew pushes forward, knowing that one mistake could prove fatal. The mountain itself becomes both adversary and workplace, shaping the men who dare to challenge its slopes. Hewes captures the gritty reality of this demanding profession, showing how these workers balance the need for progress against the constant threat of rockslides, equipment failures, and weather that can turn deadly without warning. The story reveals the bonds formed between men who depend on each other for survival in an unforgiving environment.
Genres: survival, american-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, non-fiction, gritty
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: man-vs-nature, workplace
Setting: Mountain Highways
Period: 20th-century
282 pages · Hardcover · Hassell Street Press