The Big Ol' Man in the Sky

Clawing herself out of the caustic and sewage-laden river, Anna can only think of one thing—getting home. Though she lives just a few short blocks from the acrid waterway, she soon finds that the journey she’s about to take is much longer and infinitely more transformative. For Anna lives in a steel town, a modern-day American steel town where the environmental movement slipped away years ago. She’s spent her entire young existence in the shadows of the furnaces that give her town life. She has never questioned what they are or what they mean for the world around her.



The Big Ol’ Man in the Sky is the story of one fateful weekend when all that begins to change. It’s a story about lives forgotten and memories rekindled. It’s a story of the unending quest for truth and purpose.



About the Author



Dr. Christopher Galik is a professor of energy and environmental policy. He has published over 50 technical reports and peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Dr. Galik is also a child of the American steel industry. Long ago, an ancestor supplied charcoal and ore to one of the first furnaces west of the Alleghenies. His grandfathers and uncles later labored in his hometown’s since-shuttered mills. The Big Ol’ Man in the Sky, his first novel, springs from the blending of these personal and professional worlds. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Vassar College, a master’s degree in resource economics and policy from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in forestry and environmental resources from NC State. He lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife, their three children, and their two dogs.