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Ten Cents a Dance
With her mother ill, it's up to fifteen-year-old Ruby Jacinski to support her family. But in the 1940s, the only opportunities open to a Polish-American girl from Chicago's poor Yards is a job in one of the meat packing plants. Through a chance meeting with a local tough, Ruby lands a job as a taxi dancer and soon becomes an expert in the art of "fishing": working her patrons for meals, cash, clothes, even jewelry. Drawn ever deeper into the world of dance halls, jazz, and the mob, Ruby gradually realizes that the only one who can save her is herself. A mesmerizing look into a little known world and era.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2008
17 people are currently reading
3665 people want to read
About the author
Christine Fletcher
10 books42 followersI'm a veterinarian and author of two young adult novels: Ten Cents a Dance, which was named a 2009 Top Ten Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and Tallulah Falls, which was named a 2007 Book for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library. I currently write and practice veterinary medicine in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 329 reviews
February 5, 2015
That was when I felt the squeeze of his fingers around my keister.
Excuse me for a moment while I contain my urge to snort-laugh.
2.5 stars. This is going to sound strange, but I think I would love this story as a movie. As in, love-love the movie; much better than I did the book. If it was done properly.
The absolute best things about Ten Cents a Dance were the era and setting. I wanted to see the "Back of the Yards" and the nightclubs. I wanted to hear the music playing. I wanted to be there as a fly on the wall and watch the taxi dancers hustle about getting ready for a night of schmoozing desperate men who would gamble away their earnings on a dance with a pretty (or not-so-pretty) girl.
Those are the reasons why I would probably stare attentively at the screen for an hour and a half while a movie played out.
On the printed page, however, those bits of atmosphere were often background to Ruby's inner turmoil.
And I'm cool with the inner turmoil...kind of. But a lot of the scenes repeated themselves. I lost interest in Paulie, and pushy customer-would-be-rapist guy, and the mom/sister drama pretty quickly. I only really cared about the nightlife. When the nightlife was jumping, I was transfixed. Thankfully, there was just enough of the good stuff included to keep me reading. I'm sort of sorry that Ozzie was only a side character. It's really too bad. He was far more interesting than Paulie.
The attention brought to racism in the 1940's was sort of ill-handled, I thought. It made sense to write the story showing how people would have reacted during the time period, but after a while it just felt awkward reading racial slurs. The references didn't feel placed in a "thought provoking" way, as how some literature would make you reflect on the injustice of the time. The references sprinkled throughout the book started to feel gratuitous after a while, as if someone was just told that they had permission to say whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. So they did. Maybe I'm not making sense. Maybe someone else can tell me how it read to them if they ever get around to checking this book out.
While Ten Cents had its fair share of entertaining moments, I was firmly set on a 2 star rating because the story went in pointless circles far too many times. It was only after reading the author's notes at the end (the story was personal to her and her family history) that I understood why the story was a lost gem of an idea waiting to be told, and I had to go up to 3 stars out of appreciation for the author recovering a piece of Americana and handing it over as a gift to the public. I knew little about taxi dancers before picking up this story, and now I'm curious to know more.
July 4, 2009
Bad boys and secrets are both hard to keep...So it says on the cover of this coming-of-age novel set in the early 1940's. When her mother loses her job due to arthritis, Ruby Jacinski drops out of school to work in the Chicago stockyards. (Do I need to explain that this is dirty, smelly work?) Soon she is saved from this when she gets a job at the Starlight dance "school" as a taxi-dancer, dancing with men for ten cents a dance. Suddenly her work involves ball gowns and music and it seems life can be easy if you're a pretty girl...
This book is exciting and glamorous, but also realistic. With this new life of stockings and make-up comes new grown-up problems, including a stalker who wants more than just a dance; and competing with the other girls for tips when some of these experienced girls are ruthless hustlers. On top of this, Ruby is keeping this job a secret from her mother, telling her she is a phone operator instead, because her mother wouldn't approve. Her mother also forbids her to talk to this boy from the neighborhood who has a bad reputation. Well, Ruby can't help falling in love with him...
So some would say this book is about growing up too fast. I would say this is about growing up, having to make moral choices, dealing with your conscience, and questioning what is right or wrong. War and racism provide some of the background of this book which is a vivid glimpse into 1940's America. This book is five stars because I felt very close to the protagonist, like I was experiencing new things with her. (Some parts even gave me chills). If you know me, you know that this is the kind of coming-of-age journey that I love!
This book is exciting and glamorous, but also realistic. With this new life of stockings and make-up comes new grown-up problems, including a stalker who wants more than just a dance; and competing with the other girls for tips when some of these experienced girls are ruthless hustlers. On top of this, Ruby is keeping this job a secret from her mother, telling her she is a phone operator instead, because her mother wouldn't approve. Her mother also forbids her to talk to this boy from the neighborhood who has a bad reputation. Well, Ruby can't help falling in love with him...
So some would say this book is about growing up too fast. I would say this is about growing up, having to make moral choices, dealing with your conscience, and questioning what is right or wrong. War and racism provide some of the background of this book which is a vivid glimpse into 1940's America. This book is five stars because I felt very close to the protagonist, like I was experiencing new things with her. (Some parts even gave me chills). If you know me, you know that this is the kind of coming-of-age journey that I love!
November 10, 2012
Reviewed by JodiG. for TeensReadToo.com
It is the 1940's and 15-year-old Ruby Jacinski has had to step in and support her family. Her father is dead and her mother is now too sick to work. The family has had to move to a poorer neighborhood and the only work Ruby can get is at the meat-packing plant, earning $12.25 per week. Her only escape is when she meets her friends to go dancing.
One night, Ruby's entire life changes. Tough-guy Paulie Suelze tells her how she can earn up to $50 a week. That much money could change Ruby's life. She could pay off the families grocery bill, get her mother's wedding ring out of the pawn shop, and maybe even get her mother and sister out of the Back of the Yards and into a decent house.
There is a hitch to the idea. The job isn't exactly a respectable one. She would be working as a taxi dancer, a girl who dances with men for money. For the cost of a dime, lonely men purchase the illusion of having a pretty girl who is interested in them, even if it is only for the length of a song. Since dancing is what Ruby does best, she figures there will be no problem earning that much money.
Ruby quits her job at the plant and devises a story so that her mother will let her stay out late every night, when the Dance Halls do their business. Ruby soon finds herself leading two lives and hiding each from the other.
Taxi dancing proves to be more complicated than Ruby thought. There is a hierarchy of girls to navigate through and earning good money means learning the act of subtle manipulation with the clients. Ruby soon learns that the world of taxi dancing is a complicated one and, as her new friend Peggy tells her, "every taxi dancer has a story."
Will Ruby be able to separate herself from this new world or will she become another one of its casualties? Will she ever be able to return to her old life? Is it possible to return to an innocent existence after seeing another side of life?
TEN CENTS A DANCE was inspired by a member of author Christine Fletcher's own family. The story of Sofia, as explained in the book, is about a family member who was lost for several years. She had been shamed and banished from the family only to return years later. Sofia had been a taxi dancer and went to great lengths to hide her true life from her family. It was only after her death that the truth came to light. Fletcher began to research taxi dancers, which led to the creation of Ruby.
This is an amazing story that vividly describes what it must have been like to be young and offered such a great opportunity and terrible burden at the same time. Ruby is a very realistic character with enough spunk to inspire anyone. The dialogue is rich with the language of the time and the spirit of pre-war America has been accurately represented.
TEN CENTS A DANCE will leave a lasting impression.
It is the 1940's and 15-year-old Ruby Jacinski has had to step in and support her family. Her father is dead and her mother is now too sick to work. The family has had to move to a poorer neighborhood and the only work Ruby can get is at the meat-packing plant, earning $12.25 per week. Her only escape is when she meets her friends to go dancing.
One night, Ruby's entire life changes. Tough-guy Paulie Suelze tells her how she can earn up to $50 a week. That much money could change Ruby's life. She could pay off the families grocery bill, get her mother's wedding ring out of the pawn shop, and maybe even get her mother and sister out of the Back of the Yards and into a decent house.
There is a hitch to the idea. The job isn't exactly a respectable one. She would be working as a taxi dancer, a girl who dances with men for money. For the cost of a dime, lonely men purchase the illusion of having a pretty girl who is interested in them, even if it is only for the length of a song. Since dancing is what Ruby does best, she figures there will be no problem earning that much money.
Ruby quits her job at the plant and devises a story so that her mother will let her stay out late every night, when the Dance Halls do their business. Ruby soon finds herself leading two lives and hiding each from the other.
Taxi dancing proves to be more complicated than Ruby thought. There is a hierarchy of girls to navigate through and earning good money means learning the act of subtle manipulation with the clients. Ruby soon learns that the world of taxi dancing is a complicated one and, as her new friend Peggy tells her, "every taxi dancer has a story."
Will Ruby be able to separate herself from this new world or will she become another one of its casualties? Will she ever be able to return to her old life? Is it possible to return to an innocent existence after seeing another side of life?
TEN CENTS A DANCE was inspired by a member of author Christine Fletcher's own family. The story of Sofia, as explained in the book, is about a family member who was lost for several years. She had been shamed and banished from the family only to return years later. Sofia had been a taxi dancer and went to great lengths to hide her true life from her family. It was only after her death that the truth came to light. Fletcher began to research taxi dancers, which led to the creation of Ruby.
This is an amazing story that vividly describes what it must have been like to be young and offered such a great opportunity and terrible burden at the same time. Ruby is a very realistic character with enough spunk to inspire anyone. The dialogue is rich with the language of the time and the spirit of pre-war America has been accurately represented.
TEN CENTS A DANCE will leave a lasting impression.
May 22, 2019
Fletcher, Christine. 2008. Ten Cents a Dance.
Ten Cents a Dance is a book I enjoyed. A great deal enjoyed. But it could make a movie that I would just love and adore. Set around 1940-1941, the novel follows the adventures and misadventures of a teen girl, Ruby Jacinski, who is charmed away from the meat factories by the glamor and allure of a local dance hall. Instead of slaving all day for a very small paycheck, she could be dancing the night away at a taxi dance hall. Ten cents per dance. A nickel is hers to keep. A nickel is the dance hall's share. And her partners almost always tip as well. It may be small--a nickel, a dime--or a bit larger--half-dollar or dollar. Sometimes they even offer to take her out for a meal and/or to another after-hours club. (The men can buy the rest of her dances for the evening to the club and she can clock out early.) Sometimes they give her money or gifts as well. Of course, they're hoping that these lead to something else. They want much more than a dance for their trouble if they're going to spend more than a dime or two on her. It's a sometimes dangerous game that Ruby is playing with herself. And of course, Ruby's mother is a bit clueless about her daughter's new job. Easily placated by lies that her daughter is a telephone operator.
Whose idea was this in the first place? Ruby heard about the dance halls and the opportunity to earn up to $50 a week from the local bad boy, gangster-wanna-be Paulie Suelze. He's a guy that everyone warns her about, but no one can keep her from. Even as she's accepting all these favors from men--and these favors include a smooch or two--she's secretly sneaking around with Paulie. A guy who's not even remotely bothered that "his girl" is running around all hours of the night with men paying her to keep them company. Sounds suspcious doesn't it?
The characters are well drawn, and the plot kept my interest throughout. Definitely something I'd be happy to recommend to those that love historical fiction--especially world war 2 themed historical fiction.
I won't go into all the details. But this one is nicely layered in culture (among other things). The music. The movies. The dances. The clothes. The hairstyles. I just think this would make a great movie--so you could see the whole picture of what life is like.
There is an actual song from the 1930s called "Ten Cents A Dance."
Songwriters: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers (1930)
Ten cents a dance, that's what they pay me
Gosh, how they weigh me down
Ten cents a dance, pansies and rough guys
Tough guys who tear my gown
Seven to midnight I hear drums
Loudly the saxophone blows
Trumpets are tearing my eardrums
Customers crush my toes
Sometimes I think I've found my hero
But it's a queer romance
All that you need is a ticket
Come on, big boy, ten cents a dance
Ten Cents a Dance is a book I enjoyed. A great deal enjoyed. But it could make a movie that I would just love and adore. Set around 1940-1941, the novel follows the adventures and misadventures of a teen girl, Ruby Jacinski, who is charmed away from the meat factories by the glamor and allure of a local dance hall. Instead of slaving all day for a very small paycheck, she could be dancing the night away at a taxi dance hall. Ten cents per dance. A nickel is hers to keep. A nickel is the dance hall's share. And her partners almost always tip as well. It may be small--a nickel, a dime--or a bit larger--half-dollar or dollar. Sometimes they even offer to take her out for a meal and/or to another after-hours club. (The men can buy the rest of her dances for the evening to the club and she can clock out early.) Sometimes they give her money or gifts as well. Of course, they're hoping that these lead to something else. They want much more than a dance for their trouble if they're going to spend more than a dime or two on her. It's a sometimes dangerous game that Ruby is playing with herself. And of course, Ruby's mother is a bit clueless about her daughter's new job. Easily placated by lies that her daughter is a telephone operator.
Whose idea was this in the first place? Ruby heard about the dance halls and the opportunity to earn up to $50 a week from the local bad boy, gangster-wanna-be Paulie Suelze. He's a guy that everyone warns her about, but no one can keep her from. Even as she's accepting all these favors from men--and these favors include a smooch or two--she's secretly sneaking around with Paulie. A guy who's not even remotely bothered that "his girl" is running around all hours of the night with men paying her to keep them company. Sounds suspcious doesn't it?
The characters are well drawn, and the plot kept my interest throughout. Definitely something I'd be happy to recommend to those that love historical fiction--especially world war 2 themed historical fiction.
I won't go into all the details. But this one is nicely layered in culture (among other things). The music. The movies. The dances. The clothes. The hairstyles. I just think this would make a great movie--so you could see the whole picture of what life is like.
There is an actual song from the 1930s called "Ten Cents A Dance."
Songwriters: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers (1930)
Ten cents a dance, that's what they pay me
Gosh, how they weigh me down
Ten cents a dance, pansies and rough guys
Tough guys who tear my gown
Seven to midnight I hear drums
Loudly the saxophone blows
Trumpets are tearing my eardrums
Customers crush my toes
Sometimes I think I've found my hero
But it's a queer romance
All that you need is a ticket
Come on, big boy, ten cents a dance
January 28, 2009
I don’t know why I was expecting this to be a quick, average read, but I was. The setup, I guess, made it so it’d be pretty easy to pull your usual trials and tribulations story about a girl living a double-life who then found redemption and yada-yada. So when the novel turned out to be the exact opposite, well...
Ten Cents a Dance opens with Ruby going to this huge-deal dance in her neighborhood. There she meets the bad boy with whom she’ll become inextricably involved and who’ll lead her down many a shaky path. It all stems from that one night in her life, everything that happens in this book, which is what makes me love this beginning. Rarely do I find such a strong opening hook as I found here, and it wasn’t so much as the plot that kept me at the edge of my seat, but rather the strength of the voice. Here’s for the reviewing cliché: Ruby’s voice sings.
Then there’s the premise. I first saw taxi dancing in an episode of Cold Case and it took root in the back of my mind for something I wanted to research a bit more. Then, I up and find this book and it triggered that bit in the back of my mind. Taxi dancing, aside from being fascinating, isn’t widely explored, making this book unique in a conceptual level.
I wish I knew how to describe the storytelling. The rich language and history and the fact vs the fiction are so deftly incorporated into the prose, they made this book extremely authentic. This is historical fiction at its best: transporting people to an era they know little about and not alienating them while also telling a good story. I can’t even begin to imagine the sort of research Christine must’ve conducted in order to get the tone down right. It’s mesmerizing, really.
Try as I might, I can’t do anything but praise this book. It’s easily one of the best I’ve read this year, certainly among the best-written, and one I just can’t imagine anybody doing themselves the disservice of missing.
It’s probably hard to take me seriously when I’ve been fangirling all week, and I don’t know how to make it better because it’s 2:30am and I’m collapsing, so I’ll leave you all with this: Upon finishing, I proclaimed this novel’s greatness at top volume to my best friend Amee for god knows how much time. (Amee, you verify this in the comments section, please.) Last time I did that? It was for My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger. We all know how much I loved that.
Ten Cents a Dance opens with Ruby going to this huge-deal dance in her neighborhood. There she meets the bad boy with whom she’ll become inextricably involved and who’ll lead her down many a shaky path. It all stems from that one night in her life, everything that happens in this book, which is what makes me love this beginning. Rarely do I find such a strong opening hook as I found here, and it wasn’t so much as the plot that kept me at the edge of my seat, but rather the strength of the voice. Here’s for the reviewing cliché: Ruby’s voice sings.
Then there’s the premise. I first saw taxi dancing in an episode of Cold Case and it took root in the back of my mind for something I wanted to research a bit more. Then, I up and find this book and it triggered that bit in the back of my mind. Taxi dancing, aside from being fascinating, isn’t widely explored, making this book unique in a conceptual level.
I wish I knew how to describe the storytelling. The rich language and history and the fact vs the fiction are so deftly incorporated into the prose, they made this book extremely authentic. This is historical fiction at its best: transporting people to an era they know little about and not alienating them while also telling a good story. I can’t even begin to imagine the sort of research Christine must’ve conducted in order to get the tone down right. It’s mesmerizing, really.
Try as I might, I can’t do anything but praise this book. It’s easily one of the best I’ve read this year, certainly among the best-written, and one I just can’t imagine anybody doing themselves the disservice of missing.
It’s probably hard to take me seriously when I’ve been fangirling all week, and I don’t know how to make it better because it’s 2:30am and I’m collapsing, so I’ll leave you all with this: Upon finishing, I proclaimed this novel’s greatness at top volume to my best friend Amee for god knows how much time. (Amee, you verify this in the comments section, please.) Last time I did that? It was for My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger. We all know how much I loved that.
September 27, 2008
This book was flat-out amazing. Gorgeously written, well-researched, it was a very real look at life in the tenements of Chicago just prior to World War II.
Ruby is an Irish-Polish girl, not even sixteen years old, who has had to quit school in order to support her mother and sister by working at a meat packing plant. Pretty, lively, and a great dancer, the neighborhood bad boy tells her about a job where she could dance all night and make three times the money.
Taxi dancing.
Taxi dancers are paid to dance with lonely men in seedy dance halls. A lot of the men assume the girls are also prostitutes, and many of them basically are. Ruby is quickly forced to learn how to play the game: how to attract dance partners, how to flirt just enough to get a good tip but not enough to make them think she's easy. And all the while she's hiding the truth of her new job from her mother and sister.
The characters are all richly drawn: the family, the dancers, the musicians, the nosy neighbors and local thugs who populate 1940's era Chicago. It was all so very vivid and real, I was tense and laughing, angry or crying right along with Ruby. There were times when I actually had to hold my breath while I was reading, I was so nervous about what was going to happen next.
Ruby is an Irish-Polish girl, not even sixteen years old, who has had to quit school in order to support her mother and sister by working at a meat packing plant. Pretty, lively, and a great dancer, the neighborhood bad boy tells her about a job where she could dance all night and make three times the money.
Taxi dancing.
Taxi dancers are paid to dance with lonely men in seedy dance halls. A lot of the men assume the girls are also prostitutes, and many of them basically are. Ruby is quickly forced to learn how to play the game: how to attract dance partners, how to flirt just enough to get a good tip but not enough to make them think she's easy. And all the while she's hiding the truth of her new job from her mother and sister.
The characters are all richly drawn: the family, the dancers, the musicians, the nosy neighbors and local thugs who populate 1940's era Chicago. It was all so very vivid and real, I was tense and laughing, angry or crying right along with Ruby. There were times when I actually had to hold my breath while I was reading, I was so nervous about what was going to happen next.
December 3, 2009
Until I'd read this story, I hadn't even known there was a such thing as taxi dancing. It's actually quite a fascinating lifestyle and era. There are aspects that sound fun, but it's definitely not a job you want to have.
Ruby hates being a packing girl at the packinghouse, stuffing pig's feet into jars all day long. She longs for more and she loves dancing. Enter the mysterious Paulie Suelze, who tells her of a club where she can dance all night and make more money that she could've ever dreamed of. Enough money to get her family out of debt and out of the old house they live in.
It's such an interesting topic. You can't help but want to do more research on it after you read it. Apparently there are still taxi dancing clubs in major cities. To me anyway, dancing through the night sounds like a lot of fun. But this? This is not respectable and I'm pretty sure highly frowned upon by members of my family. But overall, it's really interesting.
Ruby hates being a packing girl at the packinghouse, stuffing pig's feet into jars all day long. She longs for more and she loves dancing. Enter the mysterious Paulie Suelze, who tells her of a club where she can dance all night and make more money that she could've ever dreamed of. Enough money to get her family out of debt and out of the old house they live in.
It's such an interesting topic. You can't help but want to do more research on it after you read it. Apparently there are still taxi dancing clubs in major cities. To me anyway, dancing through the night sounds like a lot of fun. But this? This is not respectable and I'm pretty sure highly frowned upon by members of my family. But overall, it's really interesting.
August 1, 2012
Ten Cents a Dance is a novel both fantastic and chilling, and overall throughly enjoyable.
It tells the story of a young girl growing up in the early 20th century, a time during which gangsters, or "mad dogs" looked up to the likes of Al Capone, and "savvy" girls could earn their wages at "taxi dance halls", earning change for dancing with men. The main character was everything I love about heroines all rolled into one. She was spunky, lively, tender hearted and brave. To watch her fall in love and try to escape the inevitable jadedness that comes with her chosen profession was both fascinating and heartbreaking.
I won't give anything away, but for any fan of the historical time period and of great female leads, I definitely recommend this book!
It tells the story of a young girl growing up in the early 20th century, a time during which gangsters, or "mad dogs" looked up to the likes of Al Capone, and "savvy" girls could earn their wages at "taxi dance halls", earning change for dancing with men. The main character was everything I love about heroines all rolled into one. She was spunky, lively, tender hearted and brave. To watch her fall in love and try to escape the inevitable jadedness that comes with her chosen profession was both fascinating and heartbreaking.
I won't give anything away, but for any fan of the historical time period and of great female leads, I definitely recommend this book!
August 12, 2014
I went into this book anticipating sexual content and no characters to really sympathize with or like. My suspicions were proven correct: there are lots of sexual references and quite a bit of characters touching other characters in a very intimate manner. All of the girls talk about their voluptuousness (or lack of), and none of them are afraid to use what they have to catch a customer's attention.
Ruby, at first, is somewhat easy to sympathize with. Her family is on the verge of starvation and in her innocence doesn't realize what sort of job she's getting herself into. Ruby spends a lot of the book struggling morally with her decision to keep her job once she does find out that it isn't really a dance school, and she admits that it's the allure of pretty clothes and expensive jewelry and makeup that really kept her from quitting. But it's hard to completely buy into her innocence when she already has a bit of a history for flirtation, and when one customer demands too much of Ruby, it's even harder to believe that if she's as innocent and moral as she at first claims, why would she be struggling with whether or not to give in to his wishes?
On that topic, there are at least two scenes which come too close to being explicit (I say at least two because I did not finish the book, nor do I intend to). The first one is surprisingly gentle in its relation. Nothing comes of it, and the Author never outright says that the customer who gets out of hand wanted to sleep with her, but it's pretty bloody obvious nonetheless. The second is where I stopped reading. From the beginning of when Ruby and Paulie start dating, Paulie makes it pretty clear what he's really after, and for a long time Ruby doesn't give in because she doesn't want to shame her mother. But eventually Paulie starts pressing too much, which leads to a very intimate touching scene which does not waver from explicit descriptions, and then Ruby finally gives Paulie what he wants - not because he's pressuring her, oh no, but because Ruby thinks that because her mom has remarried, it's okay now for her (Ruby) to do whatever she bloody well pleases. The Author doesn't relate Paulie's and Ruby's overnight rendezvous, surprisingly, but the whole episode makes Ruby a completely contemptible character.
What probably surprised me most was the language. In the pages that I read (which was a little over half of the book), I counted eight g--damns, which certainly contributed to my decision to close the book before it was finished.
Setting these impossible-to-ignore flaws aside for a minute, I do want to say that the Author's writing style itself is very good. Her descriptions and use of 1940s slang brings WWII-era Chicago to startling life, vividly depicting the swing and jazz rhythms, the smoke-filled interiors of nightclubs, and the glitz and glamor. It's too bad she chose to populate her story with so much undesirable content.
Ruby, at first, is somewhat easy to sympathize with. Her family is on the verge of starvation and in her innocence doesn't realize what sort of job she's getting herself into. Ruby spends a lot of the book struggling morally with her decision to keep her job once she does find out that it isn't really a dance school, and she admits that it's the allure of pretty clothes and expensive jewelry and makeup that really kept her from quitting. But it's hard to completely buy into her innocence when she already has a bit of a history for flirtation, and when one customer demands too much of Ruby, it's even harder to believe that if she's as innocent and moral as she at first claims, why would she be struggling with whether or not to give in to his wishes?
On that topic, there are at least two scenes which come too close to being explicit (I say at least two because I did not finish the book, nor do I intend to). The first one is surprisingly gentle in its relation. Nothing comes of it, and the Author never outright says that the customer who gets out of hand wanted to sleep with her, but it's pretty bloody obvious nonetheless. The second is where I stopped reading. From the beginning of when Ruby and Paulie start dating, Paulie makes it pretty clear what he's really after, and for a long time Ruby doesn't give in because she doesn't want to shame her mother. But eventually Paulie starts pressing too much, which leads to a very intimate touching scene which does not waver from explicit descriptions, and then Ruby finally gives Paulie what he wants - not because he's pressuring her, oh no, but because Ruby thinks that because her mom has remarried, it's okay now for her (Ruby) to do whatever she bloody well pleases. The Author doesn't relate Paulie's and Ruby's overnight rendezvous, surprisingly, but the whole episode makes Ruby a completely contemptible character.
What probably surprised me most was the language. In the pages that I read (which was a little over half of the book), I counted eight g--damns, which certainly contributed to my decision to close the book before it was finished.
Setting these impossible-to-ignore flaws aside for a minute, I do want to say that the Author's writing style itself is very good. Her descriptions and use of 1940s slang brings WWII-era Chicago to startling life, vividly depicting the swing and jazz rhythms, the smoke-filled interiors of nightclubs, and the glitz and glamor. It's too bad she chose to populate her story with so much undesirable content.
December 29, 2015
Ten Cents a Dance was definitely interesting. The idea of a taxi dancer was intriguing. I couldn't just forget about and leave it unfinished. But there were a lot of problems.
First off, the main character, Ruby. She wasn't a Mary Sue, but she was brave to the point of foolishness. She needed to learn when to back down and when to stand up. She's also racist. She runs away when a Chinese man wants a dance and jokes and feels proud about it later. Her friends try to help her, but she doesn't listen, because of course she needs to make life difficult for herself and whine about it later. She matured somewhat in the end and much more likable.
Next, her boyfriend, Paulie. He was probably the worst character in the book. Sure he helped her and he was nice to her sometimes, but those moments were outmatched by his "temper." He manipulates Ruby into having sex with him, constantly asks "what's wrong with you", calls her "bitch", indirectly and directly says that she's a whore, asks her if she would work as a prostitute, makes a move on her sister, and abuses her at one point. Oh, and he also shoots a man cause he wants to be the next Al Capone. But that doesn't matter! After all, she does love him! It's only his temper! Even after he says that he shot someone and threatens to hurt her so bad she won't recover, she still prays that he'll stay safe! This was definitely an abusive relationship, and she's fine with it. Having a great smile and muscles makes up for everything, apparently. He kicks Ruby and she has a huge bruise on her ribs. She describes that it felt like her body was splitting apart, and still imagines that they were married. She kinda made up for it in the end though.
Her sister (Becky I think) was a stereotypical annoying sibling, threatening to tell on Ruby. Becky was completely ungrateful to her sister for paying for food, rent, ad clothes singlehandedly. She was lucky Ruby looked out for her in the end.
Her mother was slightly annoying too. She bought Ruby's lies too easily and was barely there. I thought the few moments when thy had heartfelt talks were touching, though.
Ozzie was a sweetheart. He was probably the most interesting person, but sadly he was a side character. I felt bad for him though when Ophelia ditched him. He made me smile, and the conversation between him and Ruby at the end was nice. I appreciated how they didn't kiss on the lips, and were platonic. Peggy was a true friend. She wasn't nosy about Ruby, and my heart broke for her. Chester was also a kind man, if awkward at times.
The prose was nothing special, but it was adequate. We never got a good description of Chester's house though. Couldn't picture it.
Overall, the book was alright, but Paulie and her sister frustrated me too much to truly enjoy it.
*The authors note made it more appealing.
First off, the main character, Ruby. She wasn't a Mary Sue, but she was brave to the point of foolishness. She needed to learn when to back down and when to stand up. She's also racist. She runs away when a Chinese man wants a dance and jokes and feels proud about it later. Her friends try to help her, but she doesn't listen, because of course she needs to make life difficult for herself and whine about it later. She matured somewhat in the end and much more likable.
Next, her boyfriend, Paulie. He was probably the worst character in the book. Sure he helped her and he was nice to her sometimes, but those moments were outmatched by his "temper." He manipulates Ruby into having sex with him, constantly asks "what's wrong with you", calls her "bitch", indirectly and directly says that she's a whore, asks her if she would work as a prostitute, makes a move on her sister, and abuses her at one point. Oh, and he also shoots a man cause he wants to be the next Al Capone. But that doesn't matter! After all, she does love him! It's only his temper! Even after he says that he shot someone and threatens to hurt her so bad she won't recover, she still prays that he'll stay safe! This was definitely an abusive relationship, and she's fine with it. Having a great smile and muscles makes up for everything, apparently. He kicks Ruby and she has a huge bruise on her ribs. She describes that it felt like her body was splitting apart, and still imagines that they were married. She kinda made up for it in the end though.
Her sister (Becky I think) was a stereotypical annoying sibling, threatening to tell on Ruby. Becky was completely ungrateful to her sister for paying for food, rent, ad clothes singlehandedly. She was lucky Ruby looked out for her in the end.
Her mother was slightly annoying too. She bought Ruby's lies too easily and was barely there. I thought the few moments when thy had heartfelt talks were touching, though.
Ozzie was a sweetheart. He was probably the most interesting person, but sadly he was a side character. I felt bad for him though when Ophelia ditched him. He made me smile, and the conversation between him and Ruby at the end was nice. I appreciated how they didn't kiss on the lips, and were platonic. Peggy was a true friend. She wasn't nosy about Ruby, and my heart broke for her. Chester was also a kind man, if awkward at times.
The prose was nothing special, but it was adequate. We never got a good description of Chester's house though. Couldn't picture it.
Overall, the book was alright, but Paulie and her sister frustrated me too much to truly enjoy it.
*The authors note made it more appealing.
August 18, 2014
In this historical fiction novel, Ten Cents a Dance, Fletcher captures the essence of what life was like for a young Polish-American girl in Chicago, Illinois during the early 1940’s. Fifteen-year-old Ruby Jacinski drops out of school in order to support her ailing mother and younger sister after her father’s death. She begins to contribute financially by working in meatpacking plant as any proper young lady would do who lacks skills at typing and shorthand during the time period. Being a strong, hard-worker and not one to hide her feelings, she gets in trouble for calling one of the higher ups lazy and is then forced to do even harder work at the plant. In desperate need of a mood-lifter, Ruby decides to go dancing one evening, which ultimately changes her entire life.
Dancing with no-good Paulie Suelze wouldn’t have changed Ruby’s life if she hadn’t been tempted by the offer he made her. However, the prospect of dramatically increased wealth and a seemingly fun career, even if it was taboo at the time, was too much to resist. Being paid to dance with lonely men wasn’t looked well upon by society, especially when taxi dancers often did more than dance in order to make money. Ruby starts out innocent enough and struggles to get dancing customers at first, but as she gets more confident she begins pulling in customers. It seems to be a downhill slope once she starts dining with gentlemen and accepting gifts of fancy dresses, coats, and gloves. The ending takes a surprise turn once Ruby’s mother learns of her scandalous secret nighttime job, after all Ruby had been telling everyone she worked as a telephone operator.
Filled with elaborately decorated dancing dresses and fashions, excitement of dancing, and pump of wonderful music the readers glimpse at just how bright life in the 1940’s could be. However, the darkness of those that prowl within the Chicago night scene are also apparent, with the gambling, drinking, and mob presence roaming about. Readers are also graced with a very real look at race relations during this time. Ruby often makes visits to a night club considered a ‘black-and-tan’ which is primarily aimed at people that aren’t Caucasian. She even has a verbal argument with a ‘colored’ woman about her semi-relationship with an African American trumpet player. Overall, this novel is bursting at the seams with historical information and provides an inside look at one of the lesser talked about vocations during the era.
Dancing with no-good Paulie Suelze wouldn’t have changed Ruby’s life if she hadn’t been tempted by the offer he made her. However, the prospect of dramatically increased wealth and a seemingly fun career, even if it was taboo at the time, was too much to resist. Being paid to dance with lonely men wasn’t looked well upon by society, especially when taxi dancers often did more than dance in order to make money. Ruby starts out innocent enough and struggles to get dancing customers at first, but as she gets more confident she begins pulling in customers. It seems to be a downhill slope once she starts dining with gentlemen and accepting gifts of fancy dresses, coats, and gloves. The ending takes a surprise turn once Ruby’s mother learns of her scandalous secret nighttime job, after all Ruby had been telling everyone she worked as a telephone operator.
Filled with elaborately decorated dancing dresses and fashions, excitement of dancing, and pump of wonderful music the readers glimpse at just how bright life in the 1940’s could be. However, the darkness of those that prowl within the Chicago night scene are also apparent, with the gambling, drinking, and mob presence roaming about. Readers are also graced with a very real look at race relations during this time. Ruby often makes visits to a night club considered a ‘black-and-tan’ which is primarily aimed at people that aren’t Caucasian. She even has a verbal argument with a ‘colored’ woman about her semi-relationship with an African American trumpet player. Overall, this novel is bursting at the seams with historical information and provides an inside look at one of the lesser talked about vocations during the era.
September 13, 2009
I liked this a lot and I usually struggle with historical fiction. This book is different. Maybe it's because I'm from Chicago but this story got me from the very beginning. The narrator, Ruby, is a 15-year-old girl living in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in the 1940s. She's forced to get a job because her mom can no longer work and after a few weeks of working in the stockyards (yuck) she meets a guy, Paulie, who convinces her that she'd be perfect as a taxi-dancer. These were girls who would get paid to dance with men and although they weren't prostitutes they were used to getting "tips" and free dinners for providing their company and allowing men to kiss them, etc. It's a strange world that Ruby enters way too early. I mean, she's a kid (and Paulie constantly reminds her of this) but she's thrown into these very adult situations that she's really not ready to handle emotionally.
I had no problem connecting with Ruby. She's stubborn and independent but she cares deeply about her family and wants to do the right thing. But she ends up doing stupid things and making bad decisions. There were times where I wanted to yell at her and times where I felt sorry for her. I definitely agree with reviewers who said that the writing is vivid and suspenseful so you feel like you're there with her, waiting to find out what happens. I loved a lot of the detail, too. I could really visualize the dresses and the characters and the neighborhoods she was describing (again, it probably helps a lot that I know what they look like presently).
I do, however, wish that her mom and her sister Betty had been a greater part of the story. And I kind of felt like the final 50 pages were weaker than the rest of the novel. They seemed rushed... or something. I don't know. I wasn't in love with the ending but I can understand why the author choose to conclude things this way.
I do still highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy historical fiction and/or liked What I Saw and How I Lied, which has a lot of similar themes and is also set in the 1940s (post-WW II). The writing is excellent and there's something so very likable about this book.
I had no problem connecting with Ruby. She's stubborn and independent but she cares deeply about her family and wants to do the right thing. But she ends up doing stupid things and making bad decisions. There were times where I wanted to yell at her and times where I felt sorry for her. I definitely agree with reviewers who said that the writing is vivid and suspenseful so you feel like you're there with her, waiting to find out what happens. I loved a lot of the detail, too. I could really visualize the dresses and the characters and the neighborhoods she was describing (again, it probably helps a lot that I know what they look like presently).
I do, however, wish that her mom and her sister Betty had been a greater part of the story. And I kind of felt like the final 50 pages were weaker than the rest of the novel. They seemed rushed... or something. I don't know. I wasn't in love with the ending but I can understand why the author choose to conclude things this way.
I do still highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy historical fiction and/or liked What I Saw and How I Lied, which has a lot of similar themes and is also set in the 1940s (post-WW II). The writing is excellent and there's something so very likable about this book.
July 29, 2009
Not what I was expecting, a bit too long, but a very quick read. This book illustrates how Ruby transitions from girl to woman and not in the way you would want your daughter to experience life. Her mother cannot work due to severe arthritis, her Pop is dead, and so she has to take a low paying job in the meatpacking industry. They are barely surviving with her wages. She has a crush on Paulie, the local bad boy, who tells her about a job teaching dance to "gentlemen." Considering that she has a very high opinion of herself and her own dancing skills, she jumps at the opportunity.
Of course, the job wasn't what she expected, the pay is higher, but, long story short, she learns the hard way that the money wasn't worth it in the end. Good lesson there. Don't think yourself too smart or you may end up in a pinch. Just say no to "taxi dancing." Just say no to losing your virginity to the first guy you FEEL that you are mad, crazy in love with. I think that if your daughter were to read this book she would learn that bad boys really are a waste: attractive, charismatic, emotionally manipulative losers, who can be very stupid, dangerous once they FEEL betrayed. Poor babies who want what they want when they want it. =) I liked that this book really reminded me of race relations back in the 1940's and about all the young ladies out there who place their desire for "the picket fence" with loverboy over what's really important in life. Too bad their family financial situation had to be the catalyst to her growing up so quickly.
Of course, the job wasn't what she expected, the pay is higher, but, long story short, she learns the hard way that the money wasn't worth it in the end. Good lesson there. Don't think yourself too smart or you may end up in a pinch. Just say no to "taxi dancing." Just say no to losing your virginity to the first guy you FEEL that you are mad, crazy in love with. I think that if your daughter were to read this book she would learn that bad boys really are a waste: attractive, charismatic, emotionally manipulative losers, who can be very stupid, dangerous once they FEEL betrayed. Poor babies who want what they want when they want it. =) I liked that this book really reminded me of race relations back in the 1940's and about all the young ladies out there who place their desire for "the picket fence" with loverboy over what's really important in life. Too bad their family financial situation had to be the catalyst to her growing up so quickly.
August 2, 2010
This book has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while now. I don't think I'll finish it.
It sounded interesting and unique for a YA novel, so I really thought I would like Ten Cents a Dance, but the main character just didn't appeal to me. Of course, that could be quite different for others, so don't feel discouraged to give this book a try.
The story is set in 1940s Chicago, its protagonist Ruby struggling to earn the money her family desperately needs to survive the winter.
When she starts working as a taxi dancer in a Chicago nightclub, she has the possibility to gain more money to sustain her family and to escape her poor suburb at the same time.
So far, I really liked the story, but I didn't like Ruby. She is extremly naive and bound to get herself from one awful situation to the next. I was just sitting over the book, hoping she wouldn't do what I was certain would get her in deep trouble (just an example: Does any sane person wear an expensive (borrowed) gown to go out eating in a Chinese restaurant?).
All in all, a great premise, but the main character just isn't a type I like to read about. Nevertheless, I'm still going to keep Christine Fletcher's other book, Tallulah Falls, on my wishlist and look forward to reading it some day.
It sounded interesting and unique for a YA novel, so I really thought I would like Ten Cents a Dance, but the main character just didn't appeal to me. Of course, that could be quite different for others, so don't feel discouraged to give this book a try.
The story is set in 1940s Chicago, its protagonist Ruby struggling to earn the money her family desperately needs to survive the winter.
When she starts working as a taxi dancer in a Chicago nightclub, she has the possibility to gain more money to sustain her family and to escape her poor suburb at the same time.
So far, I really liked the story, but I didn't like Ruby. She is extremly naive and bound to get herself from one awful situation to the next. I was just sitting over the book, hoping she wouldn't do what I was certain would get her in deep trouble (just an example: Does any sane person wear an expensive (borrowed) gown to go out eating in a Chinese restaurant?).
All in all, a great premise, but the main character just isn't a type I like to read about. Nevertheless, I'm still going to keep Christine Fletcher's other book, Tallulah Falls, on my wishlist and look forward to reading it some day.
February 25, 2009
1941, Chicago's Back of the Yards.
This book is sheer awesome. It's well paced, long enough to develop characters very well, and the details color the background and historical elements perfectly. I loved Ruby's story, and I loved the rest of the cast of characters in the story. I think that Fletcher did a great job showing rather than telling what the impending background in history is throughout the book, and rather than drag the story down in the fact this was WWII, she does a brilliant job telling the reader about life in the back of the yards.
For a native Chicagoan, this was just such a perfect setting and rendition of an exciting story. Fletcher's author note mentioned that she was inspired by a member of her own family. I'm convinced THAT is what makes the story a 5 star, rather than a 4.5 or a 4 -- she gives it a great element of realism.
I cannot recommend this highly enough!
This book is sheer awesome. It's well paced, long enough to develop characters very well, and the details color the background and historical elements perfectly. I loved Ruby's story, and I loved the rest of the cast of characters in the story. I think that Fletcher did a great job showing rather than telling what the impending background in history is throughout the book, and rather than drag the story down in the fact this was WWII, she does a brilliant job telling the reader about life in the back of the yards.
For a native Chicagoan, this was just such a perfect setting and rendition of an exciting story. Fletcher's author note mentioned that she was inspired by a member of her own family. I'm convinced THAT is what makes the story a 5 star, rather than a 4.5 or a 4 -- she gives it a great element of realism.
I cannot recommend this highly enough!
December 11, 2008
Christine Fletcher's novel about a taxi dancer during World War II is both painful and compelling. Ruby Jacinski is only fifteen when she drops out of school to work in a meat-packing plant so that her family can survive. When Ruby sees the chance to escape bottling pickled pigs feet she jumps at it. She signs on at the Starlight Dance Academy where men pay ten cents for a dance with one of the "instructors." As Ruby enters the world of dancing, music, men, favors, and corruption, she must decide if the things she wants are worth the price she must pay to have them.
Ruby seems like a very real girl. Her naivety about the wider world is sad but makes her character feel honest. She makes some horrible decisions but somehow her heart seems to be in the right place.
Ruby seems like a very real girl. Her naivety about the wider world is sad but makes her character feel honest. She makes some horrible decisions but somehow her heart seems to be in the right place.
September 26, 2012
I thought this was an absolutely fantastic novel! I never wanted to put it down. I absolutely loved the main character, Ruby. It has been a long time since I read a novel with such a strong, outspoken, independent spitfire of a female lead! She knows when to speak up and she's not afraid to slug someone who gets in her way, yet she has her heart in the right place. She had me cheering for her the whole way. Another thing I loved was the author's descriptions. Christine Fletcher has a gift for bringing the setting alive around a reader. I could see and hear and almost smell every scene. It was enthralling. The concept was exciting, the pace was quick but not rushed, and there was plenty of excitement and attitude to keep a reader interested. Love love loved it!
January 14, 2009
Fletcher does a terrific job with a time and place not seen much (or ever) in YA lit. Ruby is a vivid character, sassy, strong and also naive. Her journey from innocent teenager to young woman trying to negotiate the gritty world of taxi dancing really kept me turning the pages. The descriptive writing is really wonderful and I can see, hear and smell Ruby's world. This is historical fiction that will win a lot of fans to the genre. I hope to see much more from this author.
March 5, 2009
This was a fantastic book - the first historical fiction book I've just loved in a very long time. It reminded me of a book I would have devoured as an early teenager without making me think "I would have enjoyed this MORE if I was fourteen years old."
It's based on a true story - a great aunt of Fletchers - and that made it all the more awesome.
It's based on a true story - a great aunt of Fletchers - and that made it all the more awesome.
March 10, 2011
I read this novel when I went on vacation to Mexico last week and loved it. It has some adult themes (I only say this because I write and read so much middle grade literature) but is sooo well written. It was one of those books that, once I started, I couldn't stop. Excellent characterization, mood and tension. Another example of great historical fiction.
April 9, 2011
Two and a half stars. It was okay but nothing special. I honestly got halfway through and started skimming. Most of the characters are not well-developed, and the plot twists involving family members come out of nowhere in an unrealistic way, which I don't like. The look into the life of dance-hall girls is interesting, though.
July 9, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, which is why I read it in one day. I think I might have managed to cook dinner at some point, but otherwise I couldn't put this down. This one is not just for young adults.
February 22, 2009
Very interesting story. Some parts of the book I really enjoyed and some not as much, so I kind of have mixed feeling about this book.
November 5, 2015
Young Adult fiction that my daughter recommended. This book intrigued me more with each page I turned. One of those stories that lingers after finishing.
July 12, 2020
3.5 up to 4 🌟
I wasn't satisfied with the ending but it closed on a decent note. Set during Chicago 1941 this was a solid historical coming of age story about earning money and keeping afloat in a difficult time. Ruby was a likeable character but the story left me wanting more than what I got. Definitely will check out more from the author in the future.
I wasn't satisfied with the ending but it closed on a decent note. Set during Chicago 1941 this was a solid historical coming of age story about earning money and keeping afloat in a difficult time. Ruby was a likeable character but the story left me wanting more than what I got. Definitely will check out more from the author in the future.
March 6, 2016
TEN CENTS A DANCE was an okay book but nothing to really write home about. I think Fletcher grabbed the time good, portrayed it in a way that really popped off the page, but in terms of story it was rather lackluster, bordering on forgettable.
Ruby is a rather petulant 15-year-old (as they are wont to be) who’s basically forced to quit school and go to work because her mother has rheumatoid arthritis and can’t work. So she ends up stuck bottling pickled pigs feet in a packing factory for next to nothing while the bills mount. Saddled with a burden no fifteen-year-old should have to handle, Ruby ends up taking a less-than-savory guy up on his suggestion to go visit a taxi dancing hall and start earning some dough. I would say she’s not old enough to make these kinds of very adult decisions but when put in the same dire situation, I think many adults wouldn’t think a second thought about abandoning reason and going with fast cash, despite what’s required of a person to do it.
So Ruby with her I KNOW EVERYTHING attitude goes to this hall and gets a look at exactly what’s going on with these “instructresses.” Cute name. Prostitutes without most of the sex, Ruby dances with any man that’ll hand over a ticket. And for a tip she’ll let them cop a feel. Only she comes to realize that in order to make real bank she needs to go a little farther and a little farther and a little farther until she’s up a crappy creek and doesn’t know what to do with herself.
Meanwhile her mother is still trying to treat her like a fifteen-year-old child despite the fact that she’s the sole wage earner for the house. This infuriated me to no end because I’ve been in a similar situation (as an adult living with a parent who didn’t see me as an adult but who required half of the living expenses from me, and no taxi dancing involved) and I really wished Ruby had the know-how to stand up to her mother. I totally get why she didn’t (because she’s “still a child” and children listen to their parents but in her unique situation she absolutely had the upper hand and could have used that to her advantage, but didn’t). That still didn’t make me any less angry that her mother forced her into a very adult situation yet still insisted in treating her like a child. Grrr.
As a result Ruby’s forced to grow up fast and she finds herself becoming more and more distanced from girls whom she previously considered her friends. No surprise because how would she relate to them? Her innocence is blown (not in THAT way, but she’s seen far more than her girlfriends had), plus she’s in a relationship with a thug who treats her like crap. What’s there to relate to? Plus for a good portion of the book, she doesn’t want to relate to them because they’re childish (this has more to do with her boyfriend than perhaps what she really wanted). And then she realizes she really can’t. It’s actually kind of sad that Ruby can’t go back to that but she doesn’t wallow. She picks herself up by her bootstraps and moves on with her life.
The best thing about this book is Ruby as a character. She pulls herself through her dire situations, both when it comes to taxi dancing and her family situation, and makes something of herself completely independent from anyone else. While dancing she watches these women effectively whore themselves out for free rent, fine clothes, good dinners, and after her situation with her boyfriend, didn’t want to be depending on anyone in that regard. The end of the book was incredibly satisfying from that perspective because Ruby ended up standing on her own two feet working in a job that she was proud of, in a place that she was entirely on her own. It was fantastic, really. It was even sweeter that Ruby ended up being successful despite how her family felt about her (ungrateful curs, all of them).
From a landscape perspective Fletcher painted a great image of 1940s Chicago, especially the world Ruby lived in, the Back of the Yards. Real run down, poor, with Ruby wanting to get herself and her family out of it. The book keeps the view of the city limited to what Ruby sees (her neighborhood, the taxi club, some of the restaurants, the mixed-race clubs) and everything else is almost a distant wonderland she doesn’t have access to. It allowed Ruby’s world to become vivid in its narrow scope, to really pop against the sprawl that is Chicago.
As for the story itself, meh. It takes a while for it to really pick up and the book is ending by the time anything of real interest happens. For the most part it’s a “day in the life of” story that, for me, isn’t incredibly engaging. As a reader I need more than what this book offered. Ruby’s transformation at the end of the book was great, and I ended up really liking her as a character, but the scope of the story was too narrow, was short on action, and had little grabbing story to it.
Ultimately it’s not really my kind of book, one that’s purely character-based. It was a fine read but I need more. Great characters, really. A fantastic look at old Chicago. But the meat of the story happened way too late for me and by then I was just kind of coasting, waiting for the book to end.
3.5
Ruby is a rather petulant 15-year-old (as they are wont to be) who’s basically forced to quit school and go to work because her mother has rheumatoid arthritis and can’t work. So she ends up stuck bottling pickled pigs feet in a packing factory for next to nothing while the bills mount. Saddled with a burden no fifteen-year-old should have to handle, Ruby ends up taking a less-than-savory guy up on his suggestion to go visit a taxi dancing hall and start earning some dough. I would say she’s not old enough to make these kinds of very adult decisions but when put in the same dire situation, I think many adults wouldn’t think a second thought about abandoning reason and going with fast cash, despite what’s required of a person to do it.
So Ruby with her I KNOW EVERYTHING attitude goes to this hall and gets a look at exactly what’s going on with these “instructresses.” Cute name. Prostitutes without most of the sex, Ruby dances with any man that’ll hand over a ticket. And for a tip she’ll let them cop a feel. Only she comes to realize that in order to make real bank she needs to go a little farther and a little farther and a little farther until she’s up a crappy creek and doesn’t know what to do with herself.
Meanwhile her mother is still trying to treat her like a fifteen-year-old child despite the fact that she’s the sole wage earner for the house. This infuriated me to no end because I’ve been in a similar situation (as an adult living with a parent who didn’t see me as an adult but who required half of the living expenses from me, and no taxi dancing involved) and I really wished Ruby had the know-how to stand up to her mother. I totally get why she didn’t (because she’s “still a child” and children listen to their parents but in her unique situation she absolutely had the upper hand and could have used that to her advantage, but didn’t). That still didn’t make me any less angry that her mother forced her into a very adult situation yet still insisted in treating her like a child. Grrr.
As a result Ruby’s forced to grow up fast and she finds herself becoming more and more distanced from girls whom she previously considered her friends. No surprise because how would she relate to them? Her innocence is blown (not in THAT way, but she’s seen far more than her girlfriends had), plus she’s in a relationship with a thug who treats her like crap. What’s there to relate to? Plus for a good portion of the book, she doesn’t want to relate to them because they’re childish (this has more to do with her boyfriend than perhaps what she really wanted). And then she realizes she really can’t. It’s actually kind of sad that Ruby can’t go back to that but she doesn’t wallow. She picks herself up by her bootstraps and moves on with her life.
The best thing about this book is Ruby as a character. She pulls herself through her dire situations, both when it comes to taxi dancing and her family situation, and makes something of herself completely independent from anyone else. While dancing she watches these women effectively whore themselves out for free rent, fine clothes, good dinners, and after her situation with her boyfriend, didn’t want to be depending on anyone in that regard. The end of the book was incredibly satisfying from that perspective because Ruby ended up standing on her own two feet working in a job that she was proud of, in a place that she was entirely on her own. It was fantastic, really. It was even sweeter that Ruby ended up being successful despite how her family felt about her (ungrateful curs, all of them).
From a landscape perspective Fletcher painted a great image of 1940s Chicago, especially the world Ruby lived in, the Back of the Yards. Real run down, poor, with Ruby wanting to get herself and her family out of it. The book keeps the view of the city limited to what Ruby sees (her neighborhood, the taxi club, some of the restaurants, the mixed-race clubs) and everything else is almost a distant wonderland she doesn’t have access to. It allowed Ruby’s world to become vivid in its narrow scope, to really pop against the sprawl that is Chicago.
As for the story itself, meh. It takes a while for it to really pick up and the book is ending by the time anything of real interest happens. For the most part it’s a “day in the life of” story that, for me, isn’t incredibly engaging. As a reader I need more than what this book offered. Ruby’s transformation at the end of the book was great, and I ended up really liking her as a character, but the scope of the story was too narrow, was short on action, and had little grabbing story to it.
Ultimately it’s not really my kind of book, one that’s purely character-based. It was a fine read but I need more. Great characters, really. A fantastic look at old Chicago. But the meat of the story happened way too late for me and by then I was just kind of coasting, waiting for the book to end.
3.5
March 12, 2017
Quite some time ago, I had to choose a book for my reading menu project, and my mind went blank. All the books laid on my shelf were opened and had been read by me a thousand times, and I wanted something new and different to write about. Moments later, a book called Ten Cents A Dance was recommended to me by a close friend, and I decided to borrow it from her. I definitely do not regret my decision.
(Warning: There may be spoilers ahead...)
Ruby is a 15 year old girl who is struggling to be the breadwinner of her family by undertaking hard and tiring jobs. When her recent love, Paulie Suezie recommends her a Dance Academy to work at, Ruby accepts the offer. At the Dance Academy, Ruby works as a Taxi-Dancer and earns 10 cents for each man she dances with. Throughout this compelling novel, Ruby gets into situations that make her look at her life in a different perspective. Her younger sister Betty keeps her job a secret from her mom, and always blackmails her by saying that she will tell her mother everything. Ruby also meets a friend called Peggy, who helps her around and makes her familiar with the rules and regulations of the Dance Academy. The vast ways in which women are treated during the time of World War II are clearly depicted. While Ruby is figuring out what she wants to do with her life, she also has a tough choice to make about her relationship with Paulie. Through the novel, Ruby became much more mature compared to how she was in the start and also became more brave as she had been through many different circumstances in this book.
I disliked Ruby’s significant other, Paulie Suezie from the start. He always had a bad aura surrounding him and I did not like the fact that he kept pushing Ruby away, but kept leading her on at the same time. I also did not like it when Paulie started flirting with Ruby’s sister Betty, when Ruby was right next to them. Paulie would never be the type of guy I would fall in love with, but I do understand why Ruby fell in love with him, as most girls my age, including myself, take interest in
'bad boys'.
This may be a bit unexpected, but I hated the ending of Ten Cents a Dance. This is because I think that Paulie deserved to be punished way more than what was decided in the book. If I had the opportunity, instead of Paulie being sent away to serve in the army, I would have ended the story by sending Paulie to jail after going into court, so that more justice would be served. Paulie was a corrupt person, and that was perfectly shown since the first time he was mentioned in the story, and when he shot someone for money towards the end of the book, for me that was the last straw.
Ruby, the main character, has some qualities that I would like to develop within myself. For example, she is very brave and stands up to men when they behave foolishly towards her and take advantage of her. I would like to develop this quality because many women these days are treated cruelly by men and I would like to learn how to fight back. Furthermore, I also like how she never loses hope and always tries again and again until she gets it right. At the Dance Academy, Ruby doesn’t fit in very well at first but soon gets used to the situations and fits in perfectly. In some circumstances such as switching schools, I struggle with fitting in and getting comfortable instantly and it takes quite some time before I am fine, so I aspire to have the quality that Ruby does.
Nothing in this story reminds me of any situation that I have been in, but it surely reminds me of incidents that often take place in my country. Women are treated harshly and are always depicted as the “weaker gender”. All around my country there have been instances where women are sexually abused and that reminds me of how Ruby is treated by some of the men in the Dance Academy and is also almost forced into doing something she is not capable of at her age. I like how she stood up for herself and did not let men manipulate her into doing things that she may regret in the future.
Ten Cents a Dance is written in first person, in Ruby’s point of view. If it was written with a different point of view, for example in third person, then I do not think that the readers would be able to see how Ruby felt in her own words, and would be told her story in a different way. Ruby’s thoughts and feelings would be written in a different way. Writing in first person makes the writing much more personal. Writing the book in Ruby's point of view helps us see the differences in her personality, lifestyle, and way of thinking.
Initially, I did not expect to like this book as much as I have come to like it. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5, as it lived up to my standards, but was not fully perfect as I was not completely satisfied with the ending. This book showed me what it was like to be the same age as me, but live in a completely different situation, and also showed me how hard and cruel some people's lives are. It definitely made me thankful for the standard of living I have. To see my opinions and feelings provoked by this story in detail, my blogs link is http://bookworms2002.blogspot.com.ng
(Warning: There may be spoilers ahead...)
Ruby is a 15 year old girl who is struggling to be the breadwinner of her family by undertaking hard and tiring jobs. When her recent love, Paulie Suezie recommends her a Dance Academy to work at, Ruby accepts the offer. At the Dance Academy, Ruby works as a Taxi-Dancer and earns 10 cents for each man she dances with. Throughout this compelling novel, Ruby gets into situations that make her look at her life in a different perspective. Her younger sister Betty keeps her job a secret from her mom, and always blackmails her by saying that she will tell her mother everything. Ruby also meets a friend called Peggy, who helps her around and makes her familiar with the rules and regulations of the Dance Academy. The vast ways in which women are treated during the time of World War II are clearly depicted. While Ruby is figuring out what she wants to do with her life, she also has a tough choice to make about her relationship with Paulie. Through the novel, Ruby became much more mature compared to how she was in the start and also became more brave as she had been through many different circumstances in this book.
I disliked Ruby’s significant other, Paulie Suezie from the start. He always had a bad aura surrounding him and I did not like the fact that he kept pushing Ruby away, but kept leading her on at the same time. I also did not like it when Paulie started flirting with Ruby’s sister Betty, when Ruby was right next to them. Paulie would never be the type of guy I would fall in love with, but I do understand why Ruby fell in love with him, as most girls my age, including myself, take interest in
'bad boys'.
This may be a bit unexpected, but I hated the ending of Ten Cents a Dance. This is because I think that Paulie deserved to be punished way more than what was decided in the book. If I had the opportunity, instead of Paulie being sent away to serve in the army, I would have ended the story by sending Paulie to jail after going into court, so that more justice would be served. Paulie was a corrupt person, and that was perfectly shown since the first time he was mentioned in the story, and when he shot someone for money towards the end of the book, for me that was the last straw.
Ruby, the main character, has some qualities that I would like to develop within myself. For example, she is very brave and stands up to men when they behave foolishly towards her and take advantage of her. I would like to develop this quality because many women these days are treated cruelly by men and I would like to learn how to fight back. Furthermore, I also like how she never loses hope and always tries again and again until she gets it right. At the Dance Academy, Ruby doesn’t fit in very well at first but soon gets used to the situations and fits in perfectly. In some circumstances such as switching schools, I struggle with fitting in and getting comfortable instantly and it takes quite some time before I am fine, so I aspire to have the quality that Ruby does.
Nothing in this story reminds me of any situation that I have been in, but it surely reminds me of incidents that often take place in my country. Women are treated harshly and are always depicted as the “weaker gender”. All around my country there have been instances where women are sexually abused and that reminds me of how Ruby is treated by some of the men in the Dance Academy and is also almost forced into doing something she is not capable of at her age. I like how she stood up for herself and did not let men manipulate her into doing things that she may regret in the future.
Ten Cents a Dance is written in first person, in Ruby’s point of view. If it was written with a different point of view, for example in third person, then I do not think that the readers would be able to see how Ruby felt in her own words, and would be told her story in a different way. Ruby’s thoughts and feelings would be written in a different way. Writing in first person makes the writing much more personal. Writing the book in Ruby's point of view helps us see the differences in her personality, lifestyle, and way of thinking.
Initially, I did not expect to like this book as much as I have come to like it. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5, as it lived up to my standards, but was not fully perfect as I was not completely satisfied with the ending. This book showed me what it was like to be the same age as me, but live in a completely different situation, and also showed me how hard and cruel some people's lives are. It definitely made me thankful for the standard of living I have. To see my opinions and feelings provoked by this story in detail, my blogs link is http://bookworms2002.blogspot.com.ng
June 18, 2013
Ruby is a teenage girl growing up in the meat-packing district of Chicago during the end of The Great Depression, and beginning of WWII. She lives in a tiny apartment with her widowed mother, and younger sister. When her father died, her mother had to get a job at the local slaughterhouse, but quickly had to quit do to ill health. The day she quit, Ruby pawned her mother's wedding ring, dropped out of high school, and took her mother's place on the assembly line to help pay the rent.
The weeks went slowly by, and Ruby grudgingly went to work every morning shoving pig's feet in brine for a few dollars a day so her family wouldn't be living on the streets. One Friday night, she is invited to a drugstore dance. As soon as she gets in, she is kicked out for fighting with an older teenage girl over dancing with the same boy. On the street, she is comforted by local hooligan, Paulie. They strike up a conversation, and Paulie asks her why she smells so bad. With embarrassment, Rudy states that she works at a slaughterhouse. Paulie laughs, and says that he knows a man named Del who can get Ruby a glamorous job for $50 a week.
The next day, Ruby goes to meet Del, and is offered a job as a Taxi-dancer. Her job is to dance, and if asked teach lessons, to lonely men at a club for ten cents, plus tips. At the end of the night, she gets a nickle for every dance she brings in. Knowing that her mother would be greatly upset at such a 'disgraceful' job, Ruby tells her that she is a telephone operator.
On her first day at work, she is humiliated by the older, more experienced ladies, who call Ruby, "Little Bo Peep" because of her young age, and Shirley Temple dress. The next day, Ruby has her friend steal a cocktail dress from her old sister, and goes back to work determined not to let the ladies get to her.
As the months go on, Ruby changes. The men who come in to dance with her, begin taking her out on dates, and giving her money. Ruby is too immature to realize what they want in exchange for the money. She is also seeing more, and more of Paulie. He begins to also shower her with stolen clothes, jewelry, and money. Before long, Ruby is in over her head. She knows that Paulie is bad news, but doesn't want to quit her job.
At home, her mother has no clue about her daughter's secret job. Ruby brings home enough money to pay the rent, and buy better groceries for the family. She honestly believes Ruby's lie of being a telephone operator.
One day, her mother comes home and announces that she is getting remarried to a man with a good job. The family ends up moving to a nicer suburb of Chicago. Ruby's new step-father wishes her to quit her job, and finish high school. At the same time, Paulie wishes Ruby to run away from home. Ruby is torn between her family's demand, and Paulie's. After his secret scheme is revealed, Ruby is forced to make a life changing choice: her mother, or her bootlegger boyfriend.
This book was actually pretty good. It took me awhile to pick it up and read it because the summary on the back cover made the book sound boring. I was wrong. I never heard of taxi-dancers during WWII before. What an interesting and dangerous job.
I'm really glad I gave this book a chance.
The weeks went slowly by, and Ruby grudgingly went to work every morning shoving pig's feet in brine for a few dollars a day so her family wouldn't be living on the streets. One Friday night, she is invited to a drugstore dance. As soon as she gets in, she is kicked out for fighting with an older teenage girl over dancing with the same boy. On the street, she is comforted by local hooligan, Paulie. They strike up a conversation, and Paulie asks her why she smells so bad. With embarrassment, Rudy states that she works at a slaughterhouse. Paulie laughs, and says that he knows a man named Del who can get Ruby a glamorous job for $50 a week.
The next day, Ruby goes to meet Del, and is offered a job as a Taxi-dancer. Her job is to dance, and if asked teach lessons, to lonely men at a club for ten cents, plus tips. At the end of the night, she gets a nickle for every dance she brings in. Knowing that her mother would be greatly upset at such a 'disgraceful' job, Ruby tells her that she is a telephone operator.
On her first day at work, she is humiliated by the older, more experienced ladies, who call Ruby, "Little Bo Peep" because of her young age, and Shirley Temple dress. The next day, Ruby has her friend steal a cocktail dress from her old sister, and goes back to work determined not to let the ladies get to her.
As the months go on, Ruby changes. The men who come in to dance with her, begin taking her out on dates, and giving her money. Ruby is too immature to realize what they want in exchange for the money. She is also seeing more, and more of Paulie. He begins to also shower her with stolen clothes, jewelry, and money. Before long, Ruby is in over her head. She knows that Paulie is bad news, but doesn't want to quit her job.
At home, her mother has no clue about her daughter's secret job. Ruby brings home enough money to pay the rent, and buy better groceries for the family. She honestly believes Ruby's lie of being a telephone operator.
One day, her mother comes home and announces that she is getting remarried to a man with a good job. The family ends up moving to a nicer suburb of Chicago. Ruby's new step-father wishes her to quit her job, and finish high school. At the same time, Paulie wishes Ruby to run away from home. Ruby is torn between her family's demand, and Paulie's. After his secret scheme is revealed, Ruby is forced to make a life changing choice: her mother, or her bootlegger boyfriend.
This book was actually pretty good. It took me awhile to pick it up and read it because the summary on the back cover made the book sound boring. I was wrong. I never heard of taxi-dancers during WWII before. What an interesting and dangerous job.
I'm really glad I gave this book a chance.
January 16, 2013
Nicole Hoelzel
Independent Book Review
Dancing, money, rebellion, strange men, expensive dresses and responsibility make up the life of Ruby Jacinski, in Christine Fletcher’s “Ten Cents a Dance.” Fifteen year old Ruby yearns to get out of “the yards” and as the only one of her family that can work, she strives for just that. Ruby takes bad boy, and soon to be boyfriend, Paul’s advice and starts dancing with strange men for money, lots of money.
This book left me wanting more when I set it down, even from the beginning. Within pages, the book plunges into challenges for Ruby without being overwhelming for the reader. Ruby is constantly challenged with trying to support her younger sister and sick mother. She hates her job as a meat packer and doesn’t make nearly enough to reach her dream and get her family out of “the yards” (or these days “the slums”). When Ruby takes Paul’s advice, the world of taxi dancing overwhelms her. Being the determined girl she is, she soon adjusts, becoming a part of the world, but learns that it is an adjustment that comes with a cost.
Although most young adults haven’t experienced anything quite like Ruby has, there are aspects of the story that can be relatable for a general group of readers. Something that I, as a young adult, found relatable was how Ruby and her best friend started to change personalities, morals, and life styles, and struggled with one another. One other relatable aspect is how Ruby struggles in the relationship with her mother. She finds it difficult to both make her mom proud and continue to keep her secrets.
The book isn’t all just a troubled girl, the book keeps excitement as Ruby travels through her new life. She learns how to work the taxi-dance business, finds a new dance hall to embrace her love for music and dance, and discovers young love. Her love affair with Paul adds just the right touch of romance and mischief to keep the book from being too emotionally down.
Something that makes this book different is the time it takes place. The story takes place in 1941, and continues pass into beginning of Pearl Harbor. It’s a nice change of pace, if what you are used to reading books with plots from more recent years. A lot is the same from then to now so if like me, you don’t know much about anything before the few years ago that I was born, it was easy read. Reading about taxi dancers was interesting,. I have never heard off them and thought it was a bit bazaar.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and would easily classify it as one of my favorites. A major contributor to my enjoyment was the fact that it was easy to read. It stayed interesting and used easy to follow vocabulary and writing style. Plus, learning about taxi dancing in the 1940’s and how things were different was interesting. I think if you are a young adult that is used to reading stories about people of the same age trying to work their way through life or possibly books including gossip and romance, and you are looking for something a little different, this book would be a great read for you.
Independent Book Review
Dancing, money, rebellion, strange men, expensive dresses and responsibility make up the life of Ruby Jacinski, in Christine Fletcher’s “Ten Cents a Dance.” Fifteen year old Ruby yearns to get out of “the yards” and as the only one of her family that can work, she strives for just that. Ruby takes bad boy, and soon to be boyfriend, Paul’s advice and starts dancing with strange men for money, lots of money.
This book left me wanting more when I set it down, even from the beginning. Within pages, the book plunges into challenges for Ruby without being overwhelming for the reader. Ruby is constantly challenged with trying to support her younger sister and sick mother. She hates her job as a meat packer and doesn’t make nearly enough to reach her dream and get her family out of “the yards” (or these days “the slums”). When Ruby takes Paul’s advice, the world of taxi dancing overwhelms her. Being the determined girl she is, she soon adjusts, becoming a part of the world, but learns that it is an adjustment that comes with a cost.
Although most young adults haven’t experienced anything quite like Ruby has, there are aspects of the story that can be relatable for a general group of readers. Something that I, as a young adult, found relatable was how Ruby and her best friend started to change personalities, morals, and life styles, and struggled with one another. One other relatable aspect is how Ruby struggles in the relationship with her mother. She finds it difficult to both make her mom proud and continue to keep her secrets.
The book isn’t all just a troubled girl, the book keeps excitement as Ruby travels through her new life. She learns how to work the taxi-dance business, finds a new dance hall to embrace her love for music and dance, and discovers young love. Her love affair with Paul adds just the right touch of romance and mischief to keep the book from being too emotionally down.
Something that makes this book different is the time it takes place. The story takes place in 1941, and continues pass into beginning of Pearl Harbor. It’s a nice change of pace, if what you are used to reading books with plots from more recent years. A lot is the same from then to now so if like me, you don’t know much about anything before the few years ago that I was born, it was easy read. Reading about taxi dancers was interesting,. I have never heard off them and thought it was a bit bazaar.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and would easily classify it as one of my favorites. A major contributor to my enjoyment was the fact that it was easy to read. It stayed interesting and used easy to follow vocabulary and writing style. Plus, learning about taxi dancing in the 1940’s and how things were different was interesting. I think if you are a young adult that is used to reading stories about people of the same age trying to work their way through life or possibly books including gossip and romance, and you are looking for something a little different, this book would be a great read for you.
April 27, 2012
Two Words.
Well hot damn!!!!
Well, okay, maybe that was three but you get the picture.
I wasn't expecting much from the novel. Yep, the cover made me think, "Crap, not one of those self-published novels." You know the kind, the cover created on Paint that make you want to gorge your eyes out with the pages. I wasn't set up expecting a great story, I thought it was going to bad. Really bad.
Instead I was forced to meet Ruby, a strong 15 year old protagonist who would make any other Mary Sue cry (such a freaking relief these days. Ruby is a dynamic complex character, she evolves from a gullible girl into a woman in a very convincing way. This the true coming-of-age novel. After the death of her father, Ruby and the rest of her family (her mother and sister) move to a broken apartment in the "Yards" of Chicago. Ruby drops out of school to help her sickly mother. This young girl's childhood is ripped away as she works at a packing plant for 12 dollars a week, screwing on lids and shoving pigs feet into jars.
One night, her luck changes, after being thrown out of a club for fighting - she meets a man named Paulie that gets her a glamorous job of a taxi-dancer after a kiss. Whisked away in the lipstick and silk and passing for 18, Ruby suddenly becomes a female instructress. Teaching men to dance all hours of the night for 50 bucks a week.
Ruby begins to unravel the world she is suddenly caught in. Watching Ruby realize the truth of the world is what you are basically cheering on through this novel.
My face blazed so hot I could have lit up his office."You gotta be a sport. A customer steps over the line, sure that's different. Tell the bouncer, O'Malley and he'll take care of you. But don't come squawking just because a fellow's hand slips a little. Savvy?"
Plus there is Paulie, her "boyfriend" who seems to be a little crazy that Ruby falls in love with. What doesn't make that even more fun? A crazy boyfriend who wants to be "big" in Chicago. I only wish Paulie's background was a bit more clear. Why was he this way, why, why, why?!!! I also found the age 15 to be a little young, it would have been more realistic if she were 16 -17.
Overall, Christine Fletcher clearly did her homework, the writing style was very old-timey and I didn't want to beat her with my novel after I was finished. I was expecting a fast read like The Flapper's series. You know the type , the over obsession with describing vintage clothing and silly characters tangled up in the mob that made you think the author was caught red handed writing for the heck of it. I didn't get that, I got a more complex spun story. I will certainly keep this on my shelf to read from time to time.
Check it out for sure!
Well hot damn!!!!
Well, okay, maybe that was three but you get the picture.
I wasn't expecting much from the novel. Yep, the cover made me think, "Crap, not one of those self-published novels." You know the kind, the cover created on Paint that make you want to gorge your eyes out with the pages. I wasn't set up expecting a great story, I thought it was going to bad. Really bad.
Instead I was forced to meet Ruby, a strong 15 year old protagonist who would make any other Mary Sue cry (such a freaking relief these days. Ruby is a dynamic complex character, she evolves from a gullible girl into a woman in a very convincing way. This the true coming-of-age novel. After the death of her father, Ruby and the rest of her family (her mother and sister) move to a broken apartment in the "Yards" of Chicago. Ruby drops out of school to help her sickly mother. This young girl's childhood is ripped away as she works at a packing plant for 12 dollars a week, screwing on lids and shoving pigs feet into jars.
One night, her luck changes, after being thrown out of a club for fighting - she meets a man named Paulie that gets her a glamorous job of a taxi-dancer after a kiss. Whisked away in the lipstick and silk and passing for 18, Ruby suddenly becomes a female instructress. Teaching men to dance all hours of the night for 50 bucks a week.
Ruby begins to unravel the world she is suddenly caught in. Watching Ruby realize the truth of the world is what you are basically cheering on through this novel.
My face blazed so hot I could have lit up his office."You gotta be a sport. A customer steps over the line, sure that's different. Tell the bouncer, O'Malley and he'll take care of you. But don't come squawking just because a fellow's hand slips a little. Savvy?"
Plus there is Paulie, her "boyfriend" who seems to be a little crazy that Ruby falls in love with. What doesn't make that even more fun? A crazy boyfriend who wants to be "big" in Chicago. I only wish Paulie's background was a bit more clear. Why was he this way, why, why, why?!!! I also found the age 15 to be a little young, it would have been more realistic if she were 16 -17.
Overall, Christine Fletcher clearly did her homework, the writing style was very old-timey and I didn't want to beat her with my novel after I was finished. I was expecting a fast read like The Flapper's series. You know the type , the over obsession with describing vintage clothing and silly characters tangled up in the mob that made you think the author was caught red handed writing for the heck of it. I didn't get that, I got a more complex spun story. I will certainly keep this on my shelf to read from time to time.
Check it out for sure!
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