Author Jess Walter dives into the fight for labor union rights in Spokane, Washington that took place in 1909. A long-time resident of Spokane, Walter has written 7 novels, one collections of short stories, and one non-fiction book, many of which have garnered awards and positive acclaim (see his website for more about him). Spokane had grown rapidly in the late 1800's and early 1900's and become a major commercial and transportation hub fueled by sitting at the crossroads of 4 transcontinental railroads; the discovery of gold, silver and lead in the area; and abundant timber and, later, agriculture. This rapid development was often accomplished with migrant labor, especially from China, but also from Europe and the eastern U.S. In Spokane there was a layer of brokers between the employers and potential employees called "job sharks," who often cheated the workers and even bribed employers to fire entire work crews so they would have to go through the sharks to get re-hired. The IWW sought to stop this practice and the big employers in the area pressured law enforcement to hinder the union's recruitment efforts in any way possible; this resulted in outlawing public speaking or "soapboxing."
Two itinerant brothers, Gregory or "Gig" the older and Ryan or "Rye" the much younger one, get caught up in the free speech fight that resulted in hundreds of men being arrested and jailed in one day. Because of his young age, Rye is released within a few days, but Gregory is sentenced to 6 months for being an agitator. Rye strikes a devil's bargain with a wealthy businessman to get Gig out of jail in exchange for Rye traveling with and reporting back on the activities of the feminist labor leader Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (she wrote a book about her own experiences in the Spokane jail). Gregory had felt responsible for looking after Rye after their parents died, but then it is Ryan who is trying to take care of his brother. There is a colorful cast of other characters that adds dimension to the story.
The Washington Post calls the story "captivating" and the characters "outrageous" and "irresistible." The New York Times notes the relevance of the books themes to those of today as it tackles "injustice, poverty, bigotry, ecological disaster. Turns out this tramp’s tale is a timely book...Walter asks us to connect the dots in his schema to the present day, during another eruption in history’s cycle." Walter's writing is often lyrical and even "breathtaking" (Kirkus). The story is told from multiple points of view and is occasionally a little hard to follow, but worth the effort if you have the stomach for the human cruelty described.
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