BROILER by Eli Cranor takes a hard look at the American Dream as the lives of two vastly different families collide in their pursuit of happiness, economic prosperity, and basic human dignity.

Mimi and Luke Jackson appear to have it all. Mimi is a stay-at-home mother to her 6-month-old son and Luke is working his way up the ladder at Detmer Foods, a chicken processing plant in Arkansas. They live in a 5,000-square-foot house on acreage and have several chicken houses. Yet, there are cracks in their marriage and Mimi struggles with postpartum depression. Gabriela Manchaca and Edwin Saucedo live in a trailer park at the edge of town. They have been working the processing line at Detmer Foods for seven years, where the employees are unfairly treated with dehumanizing conditions. Gabby’s knuckles are deformed and her hands ache. Edwin’s spirit has slowly been depleted, and the couple is 3 months past due on rent. When Edwin is fired by Luke for being late and Edwin sees an opportunity to make him pay, a course of events is put into motion that will devastate some and open up a new world for others.

BROILER is a gritty Southern noir thriller that presses forward with acts of desperation, power dynamics, and the relentless pursuit of obtaining what one feels is rightfully theirs. Bad decisions are made on both parts, and the lives of both families are peeled back like an onion. The description of the chicken processing plant and the work conditions are harrowing. The repetitive and violent nature of the work takes its toll on the employees, and the mounting pressures of obtaining the American Dream make it a pressure cooker of an environment. A “broiler” is a chicken bred specifically for optimal health and human consumption, normally living only 45 days. The characters feel as if they are barreling toward their expiration dates as well. Descriptive writing thrusts you right into the smells and sounds of the scenes, as well as the intense feelings driving the character’s actions. BROILER is filled with bad circumstances, bad decisions, betrayal, unlikely allies, and eventually triumph for those left standing.