The City of Numbered Days

The narrative follows Victor Brouillard, chief engineer for a government reclamation project, as he leads the construction of a great dam in an isolated canyon. The camp that rises at the worksite becomes a multicultural community whose everyday life and technical challenges are detailed alongside Brouillard's personal ties, including a developing relationship with a young woman and his clashes with the capitalist J. Wesley Cortwright. Administrative orders compel cooperation with a private power and cement company, creating ethical and practical conflicts that escalate into labor, financial, and natural crises, forcing characters to confront danger, loyalty, and the costs of progress.