Book Review: Spokane back then: The Cold Millions

Jess Walter is a bestselling author from Spokane, and his latest book, The Cold Millions, will further demonstrate his prowess as a weaver of beautiful plot and captivating characters. The books title refers to all those folks who live just beyond the edges of polite and high society; the drifters, the riders of the rail and folks looking to move on from a previous life. The title also plays on the dramatic difference in wealth among those who happen to come into control of resources and the chilling effect those riches take on their true happiness.

The central character, Ryan Dolan, turns 17 over the course of the novel, and has traveled to Spokane with his brother, Greg, after the death of all the others in his family. The brothers find a widow who cooks for them, provides a spot to sleep on the back porch, and in her old age imagines they are her sons. In the meanwhile, the Dolan boys look for work and also become involved in the labor movement. There are echoes of the challenges of today: Brutal police tactics, labor unrest and great disparity in wealth. Throughout, the young resilient spirit of Ryan, called Rye, carries the readers through gilded mansions, crowded jail cells and flophouses where women entertain by dancing in cages with live cougars.

As someone who grew up in the Inland Northwest, Walter’s vivid descriptions of the scenery in the early 1900s transported me back to the time just after statehood when Spokane was quite an urban hub. Some of his characters even take a journey to Lind and make a stop at the tavern!

I think this book would appeal to folks who like a good Western, or a mystery, or an unconventional love story. Try the first chapter or two and Walter will have you hooked!