"The Cold Millions": Novelist Jess Walter's Tale Of A Turbulent American Era

Tom's guest today is the New York Times best-selling author, Jess Walter.  He is the author of seven novels, a short story collection, and a nonfiction book.  His 2012 novel, Beautiful Ruins, was on the Times best-seller list for more than a year. Jess Walter's latest novel is called The Cold Millions.  It's an expansive and beautifully crafted chronicle of the nascent days of the labor movement in the west in the early 20th century.  It takes place in Walter’s hometown of Spokane, Washington, and it incorporates figures both historical and imagined... The central events in the novel are the “free speech” riots that took place in Spokane, as the Industrial Workers of the World, whose members were known as “the Wobblies,” attempted to end a corrupt system perpetrated by the rich, and advanced by the police and employment agencies.  The book is suspenseful, gripping, poignant, and funny, and its historical themes resonate with the turbulence of our present day.  Author Jess Walter joins us from Spokane, on Zoom…Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.