After three years of college, Finn Murphy gave up his studies to work full time as a mover. He would soon manage his own rig, crisscrossing America hundreds of times for an elite clientele. Murphy remained a lifelong student, an intellectual trucker with an avowed crush on NPR’s Terri Gross.
What results in this memoir is a blend of amusing tales about his career and straight-talking reflections on “the dregs of the American Dream” he sees from his cab. While offering a dim view of society, particularly of his wealthy clients, Murphy defends eloquently the joys of manual labor, of doing a hard job correctly and on time. His language can be at times as salty as a sailor’s (as tart as a trucker’s?), but his overall message is thought provoking and provides an engaging companion piece to J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy. (W.W. Norton and Company)
About the Author
Otto Selles teaches French at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Mich., and attends Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids.
