The Good Hand
A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation in an American Boomtown
By Michael Patrick F. Smith | Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
About the book
“A book that should be read . . . Smith brings an alchemic talent to describing physical labor.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Beautiful, funny, and harrowing.” – Sarah Smarsh, The Atlantic
“Remarkable . . . this is the book that Hillbilly Elegy should have been.” —Kirkus Reviews
A vivid window into the world of working class men set during the Bakken fracking boom in North Dakota
Like thousands of restless men left unmoored in the wake of the 2008 economic crash, Michael Patrick Smith arrived in the fracking boomtown of Williston, North Dakota five years later homeless, unemployed, and desperate for a job. Renting a mattress on a dirty flophouse floor, he slept boot to beard with migrant men who came from all across America and as far away as Jamaica, Africa and the Philippines. They ate together, drank together, argued like crows and searched for jobs they couldn't get back home. Smith's goal was to find the hardest work he could do--to find out if he could do it. He hired on in the oil patch where he toiled fourteen hour shifts from summer's 100 degree dog days to deep into winter's bracing whiteouts, all the while wrestling with the demons of a turbulent past, his broken relationships with women, and the haunted memories of a family riven by violence.
The Good Hand is a saga of fear, danger, exhaustion, suffering, loneliness, and grit that explores the struggles of America's marginalized boomtown workers—the rough-hewn, castoff, seemingly disposable men who do an indispensable job that few would exalt: oil field hands who, in the age of climate change, put the gas in our tanks and the food in our homes. Smith, who had pursued theater and played guitar in New York, observes this world with a critical eye; yet he comes to love his coworkers, forming close bonds with Huck, a goofy giant of a young man whose lead foot and quick fists get him into trouble with the law, and The Wildebeest, a foul-mouthed, dip-spitting truck driver who torments him but also trains him up, and helps Smith \"make a hand.\"
The Good Hand is ultimately a book about transformation--a classic American story of one man's attempt to burn himself clean through hard work, to reconcile himself to himself, to find community, and to become whole.
Editions of The Good Hand
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781984881519
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781984881533
- EBook
- ISBN 9781984881526
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593395189
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593395196
Read an Excerpt
“A book that should be read . . . Smith brings an alchemic talent to describing physical labor.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Beautiful, funny, and harrowing.” – Sarah Smarsh, The Atlantic
“Remarkable . . . this is the book that Hillbilly Elegy should have been.” —Kirkus Reviews
A vivid window into the world of working class men set during the Bakken fracking boom in North Dakota
Like thousands of restless men left unmoored in the wake of the 2008 economic crash, Michael Patrick Smith arrived in the fracking boomtown of Williston, North Dakota five years later homeless, unemployed, and desperate for a job. Renting a mattress on a dirty flophouse floor, he slept boot to beard with migrant men who came from all across America and as far away as Jamaica, Africa and the Philippines. They ate together, drank together, argued like crows and searched for jobs they couldn't get back home. Smith's goal was to find the hardest work he could do--to find out if he could do it. He hired on in the oil patch where he toiled fourteen hour shifts from summer's 100 degree dog days to deep into winter's bracing whiteouts, all the while wrestling with the demons of a turbulent past, his broken relationships with women, and the haunted memories of a family riven by violence.
The Good Hand is a saga of fear, danger, exhaustion, suffering, loneliness, and grit that explores the struggles of America's marginalized boomtown workers—the rough-hewn, castoff, seemingly disposable men who do an indispensable job that few would exalt: oil field hands who, in the age of climate change, put the gas in our tanks and the food in our homes. Smith, who had pursued theater and played guitar in New York, observes this world with a critical eye; yet he comes to love his coworkers, forming close bonds with Huck, a goofy giant of a young man whose lead foot and quick fists get him into trouble with the law, and The Wildebeest, a foul-mouthed, dip-spitting truck driver who torments him but also trains him up, and helps Smith \"make a hand.\"
The Good Hand is ultimately a book about transformation--a classic American story of one man's attempt to burn himself clean through hard work, to reconcile himself to himself, to find community, and to become whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Good Hand about?
“A book that should be read . . . Smith brings an alchemic talent to describing physical labor.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Beautiful, funny, and harrowing.” – Sarah Smarsh, The Atlantic
“Remarkable . . . this is the book that Hillbilly Elegy should have been.” —Kirkus Reviews
A vivid window into the world of working class men set during the Bakken fracking boom in North Dakota
Like thousands of restless men left unmoored in the wake of the 2008 economic crash, Michael Patrick Smith arrived in the fracking boomtown of Williston, North Dakota five years later homeless, unemployed, and desperate for a job. Renting a mattress on a dirty flophouse floor, he slept boot to beard with migrant men who came from all across America and as far away as Jamaica, Africa and the Philippines. They ate together, drank together, argued like crows and searched for jobs they couldn't get back home. Smith's goal was to find the hardest work he could do--to find out if he could do it. He hired on in the oil patch where he toiled fourteen hour shifts from summer's 100 degree dog days to deep into winter's bracing whiteouts, all the while wrestling with the demons of a turbulent past, his broken relationships with women, and the haunted memories of a family riven by violence.
The Good Hand is a saga of fear, danger, exhaustion, suffering, loneliness, and grit that explores the struggles of America's marginalized boomtown workers—the rough-hewn, castoff, seemingly disposable men who do an indispensable job that few would exalt: oil field hands who, in the age of climate change, put the gas in our tanks and the food in our homes. Smith, who had pursued theater and played guitar in New York, observes this world with a critical eye; yet he comes to love his coworkers, forming close bonds with Huck, a goofy giant of a young man whose lead foot and quick fists get him into trouble with the law, and The Wildebeest, a foul-mouthed, dip-spitting truck driver who torments him but also trains him up, and helps Smith \"make a hand.\"
The Good Hand is ultimately a book about transformation--a classic American story of one man's attempt to burn himself clean through hard work, to reconcile himself to himself, to find community, and to become whole.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Good Hand?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > Memoirs
Where can I read a sample of The Good Hand?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781984881519
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Good Hand?
Michael Patrick F. Smith
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Good Hand is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781984881519) and paperback(ISBN 9781984881533) and ebook(ISBN 9781984881526) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593395189) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593395196)
Where can I buy The Good Hand online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Good Hand from below
Where can I buy The Good Hand?