American Rust weaves a tale of two young men, Isaac English and Billy Poe, who are inextricably tied to their decrepit Pennsylvania steel town. Isaac, burdened with caregiving for his father after his mother's suicide and his sister's departure, harbors dreams of a life beyond the town's confining borders. Billy Poe, a once-glittering high school football star, finds himself stuck in the inertia of the place they both call home. As they attempt to break free, their lives are upended by violence, unleashing a maelstrom of consequences. The novel explores the shattered American dream and the formidable power of love and friendship to emerge from the ruins of despair. Reminiscent of Steinbeck's depictions of restive lives, American Rust offers a raw portrait of the heartland at a pivotal moment of uncertainty, painting a poignant narrative of hope and redemption amidst a landscape of vanished industrial glory.