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heathergillis's review against another edition
5.0
This was a rollicking good adventure of a read! Fantastic characters, interesting time and place. Great fun to read.
mkeesler's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dbg108's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. I listened to the audio version which contains several actors doing different voices for the different points of view. The dramatization certainly added to the flavor and voice.
There's a bit of a Steinbeck quality to this work: shattered American idealism, labor disputes and class struggle, a sharp but non-judgmental perspective on humanity, and a tad of didacticism.
There's a bit of a Steinbeck quality to this work: shattered American idealism, labor disputes and class struggle, a sharp but non-judgmental perspective on humanity, and a tad of didacticism.
sandlerpage's review against another edition
4.0
Rounded up from a 3.5. Really enjoyed the labor history, the main characters, and the settings. But the changing perspectives to minor characters was sometimes distracting and I found myself losing focus from time to time.
jackie_l's review against another edition
4.0
Jess Walters does not disappoint. Another compelling story written by this author about two orphan brothers, Gig and Rye, who are trying to make it in a world that offers very little hope for a better life, set in Spokane WA in late 1910 during the silver and timber boom, and the beginning of labor unions.
bibliobethica's review against another edition
5.0
Such great characters!!! I would never guess that a book written about workers in the early 1900s would be interesting, but here we are. Rye is young and impressionable, and he's smart and thoughtful. I cheered for him from start to finish along with the other cast of characters. The women are fierce and independent. What a gem!
rstafeil's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the main character, but the story seemed somewhat disjointed. This was possibly due to shifting perspectives throughout the book. I've read plenty of books with multiple perspectives, but this one just didn't seem to flow from one character to another and I had a tough time keeping track of some of the characters. I listed to the book, so maybe it would have been easier to follow had I been able to refer back to earlier parts of the book.
jlwlm12's review against another edition
3.0
It took a while for the action to build up. Once the pieces started to fall together, it was a fun read.
modeislodis's review against another edition
5.0
So many things to like here; a bit of history, some wild-west shenanigans, humor, humanity. There’s philosophy lite if you want to pause and reflect, but action and adventure with some surprising twists, too. A fun read!
nixieknox's review against another edition
3.0
I've always said I don't like historical fiction, but it turns out what I meant was I don't like WWI or WWII love stories. This was about unions in the Northwest in the early 1900s, and I liked it a lot. Like I'm sure all other readers, I loved Rye, and felt a little sad for everyone. All the characters rang true for me, which is important because there were a couple of times when I thought "would that person REALLY do that?" and the answer was always yes. The epilogue was a very nice, neat ending which I appreciated.
One line in particular that I thought encapsulated the spirit of the book was when Rye said some people find themselves caught up in history while most are watching on the sidelines, like a parade.
One line in particular that I thought encapsulated the spirit of the book was when Rye said some people find themselves caught up in history while most are watching on the sidelines, like a parade.