Set in 1882 in Yale, the British Columbia boomtown that became headquarters of the CPR's Pacific Section, A Ribbon of Shining Steel is steeped in rail history. Kate's father is the engineer responsible for building the Pacific Section's treacherous bridges, and his family lives in constant fear that he will end up in Yale's "accident hospital, " another casualty of the blasting. Kate's own enthusiasm for the national railway leads her to record many of its milestones in her diary. Her compassion, moreover, for the thousands of rail workers brought over from China results in a poignant portrayal of the wretched living conditions and cruel racism to which these Chinese labourers were subjected.