Historical

The Cold Millions

The Cold Millions

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-05-16 09:51:27
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Jess Walter
  • ISBN：0241374588
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

'A beautiful， lyric hymn to the power of social unrest in American history。 Jess Walter is a national treasure' Anthony Doerr， author of All the Light We Cannot See
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It is 1909 in Spokane， Washington。 The Dolan brothers are living by their wits， jumping freight trains and lining up for work at crooked job agencies。 While sixteen-year-old Rye yearns for a steady job and a home， his dashing older brother Gig dreams of a better world， fighting alongside other union men for fair pay and decent treatment。 When Rye finds himself drawn to suffragette Elizabeth Gurley Flynn， her passion sweeps him into the world of protest and dirty business。 But a storm is coming， threatening to overwhelm them all 。 。 。

The Cold Millions is an intimate story of brotherhood， love， sacrifice and betrayal set against the panoramic backdrop of an early 20th century America。 Jess Walter offers a stunning， kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation grappling with the chasm between rich and poor， dreams and reality， in a sensational tale that resonates powerfully with our own time。
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'A work of irresistible characters， harrowing adventures and rip-roaring fun 。 。 。 One of the most captivating novels of the year' Washington Post

'Stunning' San Francisco Chronicle

'Warm and deeply humane， this transporting novel is a staggering achievement from a landmark writer' Esquire

'A vivid， propulsive， historical novel with a politically explosive backdrop that reverberates through our own' USA Today

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Reviews

Christine Wagner ，

I didn’t really get into this book until the very end。 Maybe it was the flow （or lack of flow） that threw me a bit。 I liked it in theory but not sure I’d recommend。

Jayne ，

This was my first Jess Walter book， but it will not be my last。 I loved the writing style of alternating between first and third person narratives。 This book reminded me of another favorite of mine， This Tender Land。 The two main characters are brothers， orphaned， living hand-to-mouth and on the lam in the beginning of the story。 The setting is early 20th century Northwest with most of the story taking place in the Spokane area。 The brothers become involved in the early days of union organizing This was my first Jess Walter book， but it will not be my last。 I loved the writing style of alternating between first and third person narratives。 This book reminded me of another favorite of mine， This Tender Land。 The two main characters are brothers， orphaned， living hand-to-mouth and on the lam in the beginning of the story。 The setting is early 20th century Northwest with most of the story taking place in the Spokane area。 The brothers become involved in the early days of union organizing and class warfare。 Both brothers have an appreciation for books by Tolstoy， especially WAR AND PEACE。 This book was so beautifully written it is inspiring me to give WAR AND PEACE a go。 I recently read The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah。 The Cold Millions is a great flight pick to that book with the similar storylines of union organizing and disparate classes in wealth and poverty。 。。。more

Dollar Tree Barbie ，

Started out reading it but I just couldn’t latch on。 Switched to audiobook and it was more enjoyable。 Great story to be told to you but not so much to read myself。 As much as I enjoyed the story at the time absolutely nothing about it stuck with me which is why I’m giving it 3 stars。

Carol C ，

3。5 stars。

Care ，

Walter is just fantastic and my esteem builds through past the end and finally with reading his acknowledgements。 Everything I love a book for; I love reading about the research and inspiration。

Katharine Delavan ，

Sorry， I did not finish this book。 I tried but lost interest， I really wanted to like it。

Anna ，

Absolutely everything I have ever wanted a book to be

Zibby ，

So grateful to have this book and to have these characters in my life and Spokane repertoire。 Perfect for bookclub discussion。 There’s something extra magical about walking the streets characters do。 Historical fiction woven with bits of real life。 Hearing the author’s process and how layered union struggles align with those in today’s world was fascinating。 Ursula and Gurly Flynn were such complimentary feminist protagonists but with different agendas。 The irony of Rye’s coming of age amidst th So grateful to have this book and to have these characters in my life and Spokane repertoire。 Perfect for bookclub discussion。 There’s something extra magical about walking the streets characters do。 Historical fiction woven with bits of real life。 Hearing the author’s process and how layered union struggles align with those in today’s world was fascinating。 Ursula and Gurly Flynn were such complimentary feminist protagonists but with different agendas。 The irony of Rye’s coming of age amidst the city’s was such fun to read。 I loved the character variety and development。 Including the Spokane River as a sort of character was inventive and real。 And I enjoyed how there was an intentional view to their thoughts until their “end” from Gig’s larger than life exit to Rye’s introspective peace。 Great read。 。。。more

Heather Honeycutt ，

This is one of those books I got into more and more as I read on。 It was a little hard in the beginning， as new characters were not really introduced， but I enjoyed the story on the whole and thought it was well-written。

Terry ，

This book bored me。。。。。struggled through 185 pages and have lost all interest in wanting to know what happens in the end - not even going to try to finish it

Barbara Nourse ，

Two brothers， Rye， 16， and older brother Gig， ride the trains looking for work and a better life。 Rye wants a steady job and stability and Gig dreams of a better world。 In the early twentieth century there are class wars in Spokane and around the country。 They are fighting for fair pay and decent treatment。 Police control and the demands of the rich rule the city。 Elizabeth Gurley Finn a 19 year old activist comes hoping to stir up the masses for fair pay and better working conditions。 The broth Two brothers， Rye， 16， and older brother Gig， ride the trains looking for work and a better life。 Rye wants a steady job and stability and Gig dreams of a better world。 In the early twentieth century there are class wars in Spokane and around the country。 They are fighting for fair pay and decent treatment。 Police control and the demands of the rich rule the city。 Elizabeth Gurley Finn a 19 year old activist comes hoping to stir up the masses for fair pay and better working conditions。 The brothers get caught up in this turmoil。 "An intimate story of Brotherhood， love， sacrifice and betrayal set against the panoramic backdrop of an early twentieth-century America that eerily echoes our own time， "An excellent read。 。。。more

David Kessler ，

What better story to capture the history， the early history of Spokane， a growing town of the mining millionaires and the working folks who could on a good day earn one dollar。Sound familiar with the money in the hands of the few in the United States today。How do so many earn a living then and now when the wages are so low。。。The parallels of who Ryan and Gig lived in Spokane in the decade surrounding 1910 and today is astounding。

Shannon Seibt ，

Story telling done right！ This was a great novel。 Loved it！

Lauren Galleher ，

Beautifully written historical fiction （encorporating many real persons from history） centering around free speech， labor and civil rights efforts at the turn of the century。 Although the stories were different， this book was a similar type of read as This Tender Land。

Lauren ，

I liked this much more than I thought I would - I was a bit iffy on The Beautiful Ruins - in part because I've always been fascinated by the International Workers of the World and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn so this ticked a few boxes for me。 It's very well written and plotted， if a bit workmanlike， and I found myself caring about Rye and his brother quite deeply。 American history is so much more violent than we were ever taught - it was interesting to read this in light of the political upheaval of I liked this much more than I thought I would - I was a bit iffy on The Beautiful Ruins - in part because I've always been fascinated by the International Workers of the World and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn so this ticked a few boxes for me。 It's very well written and plotted， if a bit workmanlike， and I found myself caring about Rye and his brother quite deeply。 American history is so much more violent than we were ever taught - it was interesting to read this in light of the political upheaval of the last year。 It's really nothing new。 。。。more

Janet Hildebrandt ，

Great historical fiction。 Vivid， compelling and timely。

D ，

Very intensely described （for lack of a better phrase） in the beginning - and then after that I thought the book faded off for me。 I did finish it though。 It was interesting to learn about the unionist movement in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900s。

Maria McCann ，

Jess Walter is a masterful writer who makes anything he is writing about sing。 His wordplay and jokes make me giggle and his characters are engaging and well fleshed out。 From the perspective of hobos， （“A bum wanders and drinks。 A tramp wanders and dreams。 A hobo wanders and works”） the novel tells of a time before the protection of unions， when men went from town to town， paid corrupt middle-men to find them work， and never escaped crushing poverty。 There is nobility and a sense of humor used Jess Walter is a masterful writer who makes anything he is writing about sing。 His wordplay and jokes make me giggle and his characters are engaging and well fleshed out。 From the perspective of hobos， （“A bum wanders and drinks。 A tramp wanders and dreams。 A hobo wanders and works”） the novel tells of a time before the protection of unions， when men went from town to town， paid corrupt middle-men to find them work， and never escaped crushing poverty。 There is nobility and a sense of humor used when telling of their difficult lives and when describing the frustration of witnessing as “the money flowed straight uphill” to the tiny percentage of rich who ran a Western town like Spokane， which is the central location in the book。 As the unions fight injustice， enter the fiery and inspiring suffragette， Elizabeth Gurley Flynn， who organizes the fight and draws our main protagonist， Rye， into the fray。 An element I loved was as new characters are introduced， Walter jumps into their perspective for a chapter and he creates a rich variety of voices。 In the end Jess Walter says it’s a made up story， “setting a fictionalized story among real historical figures and events”。 I’ve decided these are my favorite books， especially when they are well written。 It frees the imagination and opens the emotional truth that is within the historical events。 “Cold Millions” is why I keep on reading， keep on growing and keep on being grateful。 。。。more

Kathy Piper ，

Class warfare。 Labor vs management。 Haves vs Have-Nots。 Economic disparity。 Unemployment。 Homelessness。 Free speech deniers。 Sound like today’s issues？ Award winning author Jess Walter takes us on a history tour to 1909 Spokane which， in a way， echoes some of today’s most serious （and contentious） issues。 In those early 1900’s， jobs in Spokane were hard to get; day labor， low pay and dangerous conditions were the only options for many， and those many were considered the “lucky” ones。 Most of the Class warfare。 Labor vs management。 Haves vs Have-Nots。 Economic disparity。 Unemployment。 Homelessness。 Free speech deniers。 Sound like today’s issues？ Award winning author Jess Walter takes us on a history tour to 1909 Spokane which， in a way， echoes some of today’s most serious （and contentious） issues。 In those early 1900’s， jobs in Spokane were hard to get; day labor， low pay and dangerous conditions were the only options for many， and those many were considered the “lucky” ones。 Most of the masses had to depend on the corrupt job agencies who charged a dollar（a hefty amount for the poor in those days） for each job referral and even then， those hired were often soon replaced， which further lined the pockets of those agencies。Gig and Rye， the main focus of the book， are orphaned brothers who attempt to navigate their way out of poverty， each in very different ways。 Gig is 20-something， handsome， idealistic and vehemently aligned with the unions who are fighting for fair pay and better working conditions。 Rye is 16， idolizes his older brother， and yearns for a steady job and a peaceful place to call home。 Both are dirt poor and have been riding the rails with other folks who are in similar straits until they arrived in Spokane。 They sleep on the open back porch of a kindly woman， but still must pay rent。 Gig joins rallies to help speak out against the unfair job agencies， but the rally gets brutally shut down by the cops who have been ordered to “clear out the homeless masses”。 About 500 men are arrested and jailed in atrocious conditions。 This leads to more assemblies of people objecting to the repression of free speech guaranteed by the Constitution but denied by the police。 There’s trouble in the Lilac City。There are some wonderfully portrayed characters who interact with the brothers， some in helpful ways， some in quite the opposite。 There is Ursula the Great， a stripper whose act includes a live cougar and who is mutually attracted to Gig。 Ursula， that is， not the cougar。 There’s Elizabeth Gurley Flynn， a 19 year old activist， who travels the northwest to campaign for labor reform and free speech。 Rye is drawn to her rhetoric and fierce determination to right the world’s wrongs。 There’s Jules， a Native American; Lemuel， a ruthless mine owner; Early Reston， who harbors some surprises and secrets。 In all， it’s a fabulously crafted cast of characters， some drawn from real life， in a backdrop of evil cruelty and unrest， as well as friendship and loyalty; dreams crushed and dreams delivered。I have read and enjoyed several of Jess Walter’s novels。 This latest stands out in my mind as one of his best。 Jess lives in Spokane。 His love of this city is evident in much of his writing and his descriptions of local areas is a special treat for me， as I live here， too。 His historically accurate accounts of the “troubles” teach us that history， if ignored by the masses， will eventually repeat itself。 。。。more

Bernadette Poczatek marcis ，

I love historical fiction and this one was great！ Two young boys seeking work up in Spokane and how they try to take jobs to make ends meet during the turmoil of union birth was bringing you into history。 The female characters were also strong and helped guide them。 You can read about history but this book let’s you experience history。

Jim Fix ，

A fine plot throughout， based on real people and events。 But the ending！ Superb。 To me， most endinngs are disappointing。 But this ends the way many should， pathos， joy， reflection。 And， most important to me in a history novel， I learned so much。

S Vanorse ，

DNF， I kept falling asleep， which is good for me， so I put this one to bed for good。

Chrisitne ，

Not bad but I liked his Beautiful Ruins better。

Sue ，

An outstanding historical novel， focusing on the labor disputes around Spokane & Seattle in the early 20th century & the Free Speech Fight， as seen through the eyes of a young man， Rye Dolan， & his older brother， Gig， as well as some other characters。

Lisa ，

DNF

Joanne Heins ，

I am a graduate of EWU。 I wanted to love this book。 And， ultimately， I do。 It is well written。 It evokes Spokane （lived there for 7 years， the winter are notable， as JW says）。 It was hard for me to persevere， a bit of a slog， at first。 But， it got better and better。 The epilogue was 5 stars。 It is the kind of story I know will percolate around in my soul and I'll find myself thinking about it out of the blue。 I've been to most of the places in the story， and they are richer for this story。 "What I am a graduate of EWU。 I wanted to love this book。 And， ultimately， I do。 It is well written。 It evokes Spokane （lived there for 7 years， the winter are notable， as JW says）。 It was hard for me to persevere， a bit of a slog， at first。 But， it got better and better。 The epilogue was 5 stars。 It is the kind of story I know will percolate around in my soul and I'll find myself thinking about it out of the blue。 I've been to most of the places in the story， and they are richer for this story。 "What to make of such times？。。。。The world is tearing itself apart。" and the wife answers "always"。 there are universal truths in the story that are slowly revealed。 。。。more

Ric ，

Not a big fan usually of novels set more than a century ago， but this was really enjoyable。 Ostensibly about attempts to unionize in early 20th century Spokane， this well plotted tale touches on so much more， from feminism to family issues。

Allison Kirchner ，

I'm very glad I read （actually listened to） this important book， and I'm grateful for the history lessons。 I'd have never thought about Spokane in 1909， and the discussions of income inequality， immigrants， labor unions， poverty， women， and life in general were very thought-provoking in a modern context as well。 Sometimes the book seemed like a series of character-driven anecdotes， with some characters and some anecdotes more entertaining than others。 Some scenes were riveting， even if they were I'm very glad I read （actually listened to） this important book， and I'm grateful for the history lessons。 I'd have never thought about Spokane in 1909， and the discussions of income inequality， immigrants， labor unions， poverty， women， and life in general were very thought-provoking in a modern context as well。 Sometimes the book seemed like a series of character-driven anecdotes， with some characters and some anecdotes more entertaining than others。 Some scenes were riveting， even if they were almost totally unrelated to the main narrative flow。 I listening to the eBook as I commuted， and I often found my mind wandering。 The author finished strong， and the Epilogue was a nice gift to those of us who appreciate some help tying things together。 I preferred Beautiful Ruins， but it benefited from Richard Burton， Italy， and more laugh-out-loud passages。 A final note: I finally read War and Peace earlier this year， so the references in this book to Tolstoy were my reward！ 。。。more

Christina ，

Couldn't get into this one， after listening to 11% of it。 Audiobook is not working for me。 I've loved other Jess Walter stuff， probably need to pick up a physical copy at some point down the road。 Couldn't get into this one， after listening to 11% of it。 Audiobook is not working for me。 I've loved other Jess Walter stuff， probably need to pick up a physical copy at some point down the road。 。。。more

Amy ，

Walter once again weaves such humor， humanity and intelligence into his storytelling that you can't help but be enchanted。 The common threads that weave through history are pointed out， but not overly emphasized。 Walter once again weaves such humor， humanity and intelligence into his storytelling that you can't help but be enchanted。 The common threads that weave through history are pointed out， but not overly emphasized。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Cold Millions

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Cold Millions&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Cold Millions&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0