Jess Walter's newest novel follows the adventures of two brothers, Gig and Rye Dolan. Their story is set in Spokane, Washington during the free speech protests that occurred in 1909 and 1910. The Dolans live by their wits, jumping freight trains to apply for day jobs at crooked employment agencies. These agencies demand money from workers up front for the possibility of obtaining a job. Rye wants a permanent job and a home but Gig is more interested in doing work for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Gig's fight for better pay and working conditions gets him into a lot of trouble with the company owners and the politicians. Dubious of Gig's idealism, Rye is drawn to19-year-old activist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. However, Gig has a relationship with a vaudeville actress Ursula the Great. Ursula introduces both brothers to mining magnate Lem Brand who uses both Ursula and Rye in order to maintain control over the success of his company. After Gig winds up in jail, facing a six month jail sentence for union activity, Rye becomes a willing spy for Brand. He reports back to Brand on union activity in exchange for his brother's release from jail. The story continues with the fight between the company owners and the IWW. The book was published in October 2020.
What struck me most about this book was that the dialogue sounded like a John Wayne movie. It was a little off-putting to me in the beginning but I did begin to enjoy the book as the action increased. However, this historical fiction novel read more to me like a western which is not a genre that I like. When I selected this book to read, I thought that the author was female. I expected more of a traditional historical novel. That said, I believe that reading the book would be beneficial to a younger audience who might not be familiar with stories of the Gilded Age or the founding of the unions in America.
3 out of 5 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment