Growing up on a farm in Wyoming taught Susan Miller perseverance. Her parents, hard-working and inspiring, taught her that life is full of obstacles-and one has to choose how she will overcome them.

“History of a Pipe Dream” is the story of her struggle to overcome the prejudice that existed (and to a certain degree, continues to exist) regarding women in the field of industrial construction. She started out as a common laborer and worked her way up to journeyman, and along the way, she got to know people from all walks of life. Some amused her, some inspired her, but most just stood in her way.

And then there was Jack, one of the most helpful men she ever met-who was also, at the same time, the most destructive force she’d ever know in her life.

Through it all, she fought hard to stay focused on her goal: to be accepted as an equal. She chose to pursue a career that challenged her as fiercely as it challenged the perceptions and prejudices of others. The art of survival she learned so well as a child and young woman would soon be the key to her success.

Hers is a journey into a world that few women have known, but all women can relate to.