Paying Penance In Pervis

Freddie Chapman partied his way through engineering school. His only job offer came from a textile mill in tiny Pervis, Georgia. Four months after he is hired, the suits in New York decide to buy their textiles from the Far East. With unemployment in 1974 running 8%, Freddie and his 1000 co-workers have no place to go. Jack Pilgreen, the one-lunged Plant Manager, has performed miracles all his professional life. He and Freddie form the core of an improbable team that tries to drive down their product costs by 20% in 60 days. Can they succeed? Will Jack’s health fail before they can face down overwhelming odds? Will the ego battles in the company undermine the efforts Jack and Freddie are leading? Or will 1000 people and an entire town simply no longer matter?