I haven't read this yet, but I have it and
Butcher's Crossing on my to-read list. I do know that Williams is a fantastic writer, so it's not at all surprising that he can make a "book about work" engaging all the way through a full novel.
I'd recommend checking out
Butcher's Crossing if it's not already on your list, for some late 19th century American frontier goodness.
I'll have to bump him up to the top of my list, so thanks for the rec
