Crucible

Name: Crucible
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ISBN: 9781685892746

John Sayles

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Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Melville House Publishing
01 December 2026

Historical fiction

Now in paperback: 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.

By: John Sayles
Imprint: Melville House Publishing
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 140mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9781685892746
ISBN 10: 1685892744
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 01 December 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

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.

Reviews for Crucible

A Southern California Independent Bookstore Best Seller ""Rich, Enthralling. . . rambunctious. . ."" -- Alida Becker, The New York Times ""A sprawling, mural-like novel that engages with the process, the spirit and especially the conflicts of breakneck industrial progress ... [with] a dynamic vision of American history."" -- Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal "". . . 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 ""An epic tale focused on the legendary automobile tycoon Henry Ford."" -- The Times (UK)