"Peterson's characters are interesting. They each have their eccentricities and funny foibles and seem very realistic...This book could lead to excellent class discussions [and]...deserves to be read and discussed as part of Canadian studies on the Depression."
"Silver Rain is They Shoot Horses, Don't They? for the tween set and it must be read…After you pick your jaw up from the floor, however, you'll find that this story feels wholly and respectfully authentic to its time period…Peterson gets the little, evocative details just right."
"Terse, grim, and funny, the plainspoken narrative from Elsie's viewpoint beautifully conveys a child's sense of the times...The surprises are never melodramatic, even as they build to an ending that reveals what despair can force the desperate to do."
"The novel's younger characters are authentic, and the readers will have no trouble seeing the world through Elsie's 11-year-old eyes. Similarly, Ernest "Scoop" Styles, Elsie's charming and curiosity-driven friend, is ably crafted...Well selected periodical details give the book shape and depth."
"This is a story of hope during adversity and the danger of secrets...This accessible story will be received well by younger readers interested in historical function. Recommended."
"Themes of bleak hopelessness, destitution, and helplessness permeate this gritty, true-to-life story of the 'Dirty Thirties.' It would be a solid addition to libraries…Recommended."
"Young readers will be right there alongside Elsie as Peterson's spare, fast-paced prose portrays her character and experience with intimacy and warmth...In Peterson's finely wrought, affecting children's fiction, the characters are created with tender consideration for human complexity and frailty, for there is always more to people and why they do what they do."
"Terse, grim, and funny, the plainspoken narrative from Elsie's viewpoint beautifully conveys a child's sense of the times...The surprises are never melodramatic, even as they build to an ending that reveals what despair can force the desperate to do."
Gr 4–6—Set in Vancouver, BC, during the 1930s, this story of a family suffering through economic hardship will resonate with many of today's readers. Eleven-year-old Elsie's father left home shortly after losing his jewelry business to the bank. Elsie now lives in a garage with her mother, grandmother, and uncle; from there, she can see the house where they used to live. Things go from bad to worse when her mother and uncle leave, so Elsie feels it's up to her, along with her friend Scoop, an aspiring journalist, to bring the family back together. The exploitative and cruel dance marathons of that era play a role in the story, too, as does a clergyman with an active social conscience. Despite the grim plot elements, this is a story of hope, and it is smoothly written. The pace lags in spots, though. There's a truly arresting scene in which Elsie confronts a hobo who has taken her dog while she's visiting shantytown in search of her father, but at other times, readers may wish for more action. Still, this is well-researched historical fiction with a sympathetic main character, so larger collections will want to consider purchase.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Elsie doesn't know what's worse: living in the garage with your mom, grandmother and uncle behind the house that used to be home or having your father abandon you. Then her mother and uncle also leave, supposedly for jobs. Her miserable situation is all because of the Depression, which is affecting families everywhere. Her best friend, Scout, who is going to be a newspaperman, helps her search for her dad. But when Rev. Hampton takes them to see the dance marathon to show how exploitative it is, clues begin to add up. The Canadian setting and dialogue establish context for the terms hoboes, shantytowns and the phrase, "could you spare a dime." Though today's readers won't be familiar with the Depression, dance marathons or references to Bing Crosby, cribbage and Eaton's catalog, the search for family and relationships in tough times rings true. The evocative title refers to the coins thrown at a favored dance couple. Once past the unappealing cover, readers will find an absorbing and perceptive story. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
