Jan Shapin

I picked up this book because I really like the cover. I was interested in the story because I have an ancestor who is said to have been killed during a labor organizing event in Chicago about the same era as this. So learning more about the motivations and events of this time leading up to WWI appealed to me.

I did feel like a learned a lot about this period, which is one of the things I look for when I read historical fiction. I’d never heard of the Everett Massacre specifically, or at least not that I remember, but I had heard of the violence accompanying the early attempts forming at labor unions. So it was interesting to get this ‘behind the scenes’ look. And while a lot of events were not covered in detail, the mentions of events I’d read about added to the story. One example was a brief mention of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Interestingly, though I have not read a book focused specifically on that event, this is the third book I’ve read in the past six months that referred to the tragedy. So I did feel like I was able to put this story in some kind of historical context. I also have been reading several novels of Russian history in the past few years, so Gabe’s involvement with the Bolsheviks also was interesting.

Interestingly, one of the things I liked about the writing was how authentice it felt. The narrator is Penny Joe, who at this time is old and has lived a full life. And like many old ladies, she tends to digress, and then pull herself back into the story. It felt a lot like listening to my grandma tell stories.

I say that is interesting because unfortunately, although I liked the historical aspect, the story itself fell a little flat for me. There were times when I was very interested, but there were also times when I felt the story moved incredibly slowly. I think the main reason for this is that in many ways, the story read like a memoir, and of course, regular readers on my blog know that in general, I don’t enjoy memoirs. So let me just point out that the fact that I love or do not love a book does not mean you will or won’t love it. Most of the reviews of this one are very positive, so you should read through the tour to help you decide if this book is for you! In many ways this book reminded me of my experience with The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan. If you loved that one, you will probably also love this one!

(this will definitely be higher for fans of memoirs!)

SOURCE: I received a copy of this book through TLC Book Tours in return for an honest review!… (más)

Opening in 1916, this rich novel follows the life of Penny Joe Copper, a young woman from Everett, WA. Born into a union family of shingle weavers, Penny Joe's life is dominated by the labor movement when first her father, and then her brother, become heroes of the cause. She's swept into the movement herself by accident and the machinations of Gabe Rabinowitz, a ruthless organizer, and finds herself going from being a photo op to revolutionary, almost without being aware of it. But as she grows up and learns to separate the wants of others from her own desires, she finds some measure of happiness and independence.

Everything about this novel was delightfully unexpected.

Shapin's narrative style has character, but doesn't distract from the story. Told in first person, we're plunged into the drama from the first page, but as with distraught narrator, the tale doesn't unfold completely neat and chronological. Penny Joe flashes back to her childhood, then jumps to the present, then shifts to the immediate past. This might sound confusing but in the flow of the story, feels quite natural -- not jumbled precisely, but wonderfully ramble-y -- and the whole of the book has the feel of a colloquial memoir.

Penny Joe's grief is complicated and heavy; it doesn't dissipate easily nor resolve itself within a chapter. She's an appealing heroine who is flawed in the kind of way that makes one want to keep reading; she's silly and brave, passive and active, and wholly realized. The 'great love' plot thread is surprising and wonderfully unlikely, nothing I've read before, and kept what is often a tiresome trope interesting and fresh. The secondary characters are deliciously complicated, hard to love and hard to hate in equal part.

I couldn't stop thinking about this book while reading and didn't want to put it down. For those who like novels of American history, especially early 20th century history that isn't focused on the World Wars, this is for you. Fans of coming-of-age stories might find Penny Joe's long journey intriguing and gripping.… (más)