Despite a slightly slow start, The Cold Millions is a terrific well-written novel following the political struggles in Spokane 1909. The change of narrator every so often keeps things fresh. The characters are very well developed and the book's main themes resonate today, in particular those of women's rights and workers rights.

“All people, except this rich cream, living and scraping and fighting and dying, and for what, nothing, the cold millions with no chance in this world.” The Cold Millions is an interesting fictionalised account of the Spokane free speech fights in early twentieth century America and of the horrific police brutality which met the socialist protestors. Two brothers, Gig and Rye Dolan, are itinerant workers trying to make a few pennies and becoming involved in the nascent trade union movement. The story is mainly told from the teenage Rye’s point of view, with interspersed chapters from other individual characters who fight with, for or against him. It’s a hard life for most in this society with a huge gap between the wealthy few and the many struggling to make ends meet. This period of US history is one that I knew very little about and I’m pleased that I read this book to fill in the gap just a bit. There are worthwhile reflections to be had on the present day struggles which are still ongoing for the rights of the many against the vested interests of the powerful few. A recommended read. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

This sprawling novel manages to be simultaneously: An adventure/action book combining elements of the late-Western and early Detective/crime genres; An examination of a fascinating point in US history, in the years immediately prior to World War I as the battle for American labour rights took place – with the role of the International Workers of the World (the Wobblies) trying to establish a more radical and broad based representation of workers rights than the more conventional trade and industry based skilled craft unions; A fictionalisation of a real event – the Spokane Free Speech fight – a David and Goliath story of how a small group of radical, socialist activists attempt to mobilise itinerant workers/tramps and an underground press against industrial bosses, corrupt authorities and labour organisations more interested in exploiting the workforce – with anarchists looking to use the opportunity to push for more radical changes; A study of a remarkable figure – Elizabeth Gurley Flynn – perhaps seen as an early 20th Century Greta Thunberg albeit with a rather more cavalier approach to risking her own personal health and safety – and that of her unborn baby - in direct action; A coming-of-age story of a younger brother caught up in a series of events and with a cast of characters with much deeper repercussions and motivations than his own simple focus on survival and the next day – some of whom (like Flynn) inspire him but many of whom (including it has to be said Flynn) exploit his naiveite – this character (Rye) is effectively the main third party point of view character for the main linear part of the narrative; A book with a sweeping cast of remarkable and memorable characters – including: a ruthless Scottish-descended agency detective turned murderer-for-hire; a good looking down and out (Rye’s brother) with a penchant for alcohol, women and a half-volume of War and Peace; a vaudeville performer whose act culminates in a live mountain lion eating her bustier; a Spokane Indian with a penchant for storytelling and for laughter but with a hidden family-secret; a mysterious character who at different times seems an assassin/ a down-and-out/a double-agent/a provocateur aiming to prevent any de-escalation/an anarchist terrorist. Many of these characters (but very pointedly not the last) have their backstories told in separate first party sections which effectively break up the linear narrative – although which later serve to continue and expand it from other points of view. One of my questions on the book would be why a fictional Rye rather than a fictionalised Elizabeth is not the main character – but I think this is addressed in Elizabeth’s own first party section where she comments frequently on how the courts and authorities automatically assume there is a man or men “pulling my strings” and perhaps the author felt this would be too much like appropriation; A partial retelling of “War and Peace” – with Rye explicitly drawing on elements of that sprawling novel as analogies for understanding what he sees around him An examination of wealth divides at a time when a huge rise in American industry had lead to a massive divide between a group of the newly super-rich and their exploited and unregulated labor force – one of the pivotal parts of the book is when Rye visits the house of the local industrial magnate and conscious of his brother’s much loved half-copy of “War and Peace” is physically shocked when the magnates library contains an unopened and unread full set (see my closing quote) An analogy for 2020 – just as one example, Rye’s brother Gregory is known as Gig – a very obvious link between the world of unregulated labour of the early 1910s and that of 110 years later with the Gig economy; a second (which has struck me forcefully in the week I read this book) is respectable Americans using the “threat” of “socialism” as a justification for turning a blind eye to dark deeds Overall though I found it a very enjoyable and particularly worthwhile read - if very different from my normal literary fare.