Waltz in Swing Time

by Jill Caugherty

Growing up in a strict Utah farm family during the Great Depression, Irene Larsen copes with her family’s hardship by playing piano. Even after an unthinkable tragedy strikes, Irene clings to her dream of becoming a musician. When a neighbor's farm is foreclosed, Irene's brother marries the neighbor's daughter, who moves in with the Larsens and coaches Irene into winning leading roles in musicals. Clashing with her mother, who dismisses her ambition as a waste of time and urges her to become a farmer's wife, Irene leaves home.

During a summer gig at Zion National Park, where Irene sings in a variety show for Depression-weary tourists, she meets professional dancer Spike, a maverick who might be her ticket to a musical career. But ultimately she must decide whether pursuing her dream justifies its steep price: losing her home and family.

Alternating between Irene’s ninetieth year in 2006 at an assisted living home and her coming-of-age in the thirties, Waltz in Swing Time is a poignant tale of mother-daughter relationships, finding hope amidst loss, and forging an independent path, against all odds.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Womens Fiction, Historical

300 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2020

About the author

Jill Caugherty is the author of the historical novel, THE VIEW FROM HALF DOME (release date April 20, 2023), and the debut novel WALTZ IN SWING TIME.

Her short stories have been published in 805Lit, Oyster River Pages, and The Magazine of History and Fiction.

A former senior marketing manager in the tech industry, she now writes full time. Jill is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers’ Association and the North Carolina Writers’ Network. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and daughter. Please visit https://www.jillcaugherty.com for more information.

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irene grows up in Utah playing the piano during the Great Depression. Her family is strict, and unfortunately, endures a tragedy. Irene never loses sight of her musical dreams.

Later on, Irene’s brother’s wife begins musically coaching her, all the way to leading roles. Irene’s mother is not a fan and thinks she should settle down and get married.

Irene performs at Zion National Park (a place I would love to see!) and meets Spike who might be her way out of Utah, but then she must leave her family behind.

The story is told in two timelines: the 1930s and much later when Irene is living in a nursing home.

From the beginning, everything about this story felt true and genuine. I learned later that it was inspired by the author’s grandmother, and it made me love this story even more. Irene is such a strong character, so inspiring. This is also a beautiful story of mothers and daughters and finding one’s own way.

Jill Caugherty reached out to me and let me know she’s a North Carolina author. I am so grateful she did because I never would have wanted to miss this story. The writing is smooth and reads like a dream. Irene’s character is so engaging, you fall right into her life right alongside her. If you enjoy historical fiction and/or coming-of-age stories full of heart, you will definitely want to have Waltz in Swing Time on your TBR.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.Jennifer tarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Waltz in Swing Time" by Jill Caugherty was a beautifully written historical novel!

First of all I would like to comment on the incredible descriptive writing style of the author Jill Caugherty. As I read, I would often pause, close my eyes and savor the vivid scene her writing created in my mind; much like one slowly savors an incredible dish from a Michelin chef.

This is the fictionalized story of the author's maternal grandmother's Coming-of-age story in the character of Irene Larson Stallings as she alternates between her current life in 2006, in a high-end Assisted Living facility, and remembering her years of growing up during the Great Depression in 1930's Utah. The oldest daughter of a strict Mormon farming family, Irene recounts longing for the independence she dreams of while the challenges of her demanding family life holds her bound to mundane household chores. She dreams of pursuing a career in music and entertainment and escaping Utah instead of settling for a traditional future of marrying a hometown boy, like her mother desperately wants for her.

She sees her dreams begin to materialize when she is accepted to Brigham Young University to pursue a degree in music. After her first year of college Irene is hired to work during the summer at Zion National Park. She also applies to be part of the theater group who entertain visiting guests at the park. This is where she meets fun and flirtatious "Spike" who also dreams big like Irene. Sparks fly between these two that neither can ignore!

Family demands once again call Irene back to her family rather than pursuing her dreams of college and music. The alternating time lines continued to take this reader on a roller coaster ride through Irene's hopes and dreams.

There are similarities in this book that stand out to this reader. Irene's relationships with her demanding mother in her youth and with her controlling daughter in her declining years are screamingly similar. There is also the similarity between the everyday hardship of the Great Depression and the hard reality of knowing your life is nearing its close. Irene faces all with her quiet but spirited and determined nature not letting these relationships or challenges get the best of her, surprisingly defusing most obstacles with kindness and forgiveness.

This was a most enjoyable read which I highly recommend to those who enjoy reading Historical Fiction and Coming-of-Age genres.
________________________________
I was fortunate, and also grateful, to have received an e-book copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway sponsored by Black Rose Writing. This is my honest review.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waltz in Swing Time by Jill Caugherty was a beautiful memoir/historical fiction book. Author, Jill Caugherty, borrowed her maternal grandmother's life as the premise for this outstanding debut novel. She added some fictional details to her writing and the result was this brilliant, beautifully written novel. The book easily transitioned between and back and forth through the years of The Great Depression and forward to the current year of 2006. It explored the life of Irene Larsen during both time periods.

At the beginning of Waltz in Swing Time, Irene was closely approaching her 90th birthday. Against Irene's own will, her daughter, Deidre, and Irene's doctor insisted that Irene would best be served living in an assisted living facility. Irene had suffered a heart attack recently and it was determined that she should no longer live by herself. She also had high blood pressure and she was beginning to show signs of forgetting. Living at The Golden Manor afforded Irene plenty of time to reflect on her earlier life. She grew up during The Great Depression in Utah on a farm with her strict Mormon family. She was one of six children. Irene was often spotted in the gardens outside the main entrance of The Golden Manor sitting on a bench with her tape recorder and microphone. If anyone spotted her, it appeared that she was talking to herself. She was intent on making a tape about her life growing up during the Depression. Irene wanted her family to know her whole story so she took advantage of every opportunity she could to be alone with her tape recorder and microphone.

It was easy to picture Irene as she grew up on the farm in Utah. Her mother was very hard on Irene and rarely showed her proper love or approval. Her family suffered financially from the Depression. Demands were imposed upon Irene as young girl. She was constantly saddled with an enormous amount of chores. Irene's ability to play the piano was her one and only escape from the life she led on the farm. She loved music, both playing the piano and singing. Irene was able to realize some of her musical talent in her high school years. She was offered leading roles in her school plays where her singing talent shone. Her parents never acknowledged her successes or came to see any of her performances. Irene's mother constantly made her feel guilty for not doing more around the house to help their situation. Irene's mother felt that her singing and performing was a waste of time. Her dream to leave the farm finally came true when with her brother Wylie's help Irene applied and was accepted at BYU college. Although Irene did not get to complete her college education it led her to Zion National Park where her musical talents were again recognized and where she met her husband, the love of her life. Irene was a woman that disregarded conventions and rules about the way women were supposed to act and live during that time period. She was quite inspirational.

Waltz in Swing Time concentrated on the hardships encountered during the Great Depression and the dignity in growing old. The characters in this book were masterfully developed. I found myself smiling, crying, getting angry, and even cheering at some points. It made me sad, happy, glad and even triumphant at other times. Irene was able to present her journey through her life in a raw and touching way. End of life experiences differ for all. Memories of her family, upbringing, husband and close friends guided Irene's last days. Waltz in Swing Time captured it all. It was a beautiful story and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more books by Jill Caugherty.

I received a complimentary digital copy of Waltz in Swing Time by Jill Caughery from Black Rose Writing through a give away from Goodreads that I won. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I never chose to spend my final days in a Disney Land for seniors."

Irene Stallings may well have one foot in the grave, but she was still humming. Did they not understand? It was just her body that was failing?

Irene could not deny that the Golden Manor was beautiful with its cathedral-style windows and potted plants. And of course, there was bridge night, craft days, and best of all there were people her own age for her to talk too! Sometimes there was even a pianist who played the old favourites. What more could she possibly want?

Irene would tell them if they let her. She wanted Harold. She wanted his stupid jokes and for him to take her in his arms like he used to. And she wanted to pirouette across a stage before an audience. She wanted the colour, and the music, and the jazz, and the dance.

Irene knows what they think. They think she is losing her mind. All those hours spent outside in the courtyard talking to herself does indeed look suspicious, but what they fail to notice is the tape player in her hand. Irene is not talking to herself. She is leaving a legacy for the only person who would understand.

While those around Irene get ready to celebrate her 90th birthday, Irene allows her mind to escape back to 1930s Utah, where it all began...

From a wheat farm in the community of Paradise, Utah, to the blessed relief of a longed-for sleep, Waltz in Swing Time by Jill Caugherty is the utterly enthralling story of one woman who dared to risk it all and follow her heart.

The strong foreshadowing at the opening of this novel hints this tale will be an especially tragic one. Death is a foregone conclusion when a book is set in a home for the elderly, but the enormous dragon in the room which no one dares to talk about is as loud as an empty space where a piano once stood. I realised from the opening chapter that Waltz in Swing Time was going to demand every conceivable emotion from the reader. Still, nothing prepared me for how much of an emotional roller-coaster I had unwittingly found myself riding. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to scream at the injustice, and I had only just finished Chapter 4!

The story itself fluctuates between loud crescendos that then tapers into a sorrowful diminuendo. Of course, there are also moments in this book where the pianist abruptly stops playing, gets up, slams the piano lid down and storms out the room while the reader is left gasping and wondering what on earth just happened. This constant change in dynamics and time signatures is what made this book so very entertaining and immensely successful. The pages practically turn themselves — I was wholly bewitched with this symphony of colourful sights and sounds.

This book is told in the first person from Irene's point of view, but she does pay homage, as she dictates her memoirs into a microphone, to some of the people who were so very influential in her life. Wylie, for example, is only mentioned a dozen times. Still, he is instrumental in showing Irene that she could change her stars and could get an education, which bucks the convention of the ideas a woman perhaps aspired to in the 1930s. Irene also has first-hand knowledge of what her life will be like if she were to settle down and marry at a young age. Irene goes from admiring and being somewhat jealous of Mae, a schoolfriend and neighbour, to pitying her when Irene realises the sacrifice she had made by marrying. Mae is a fabulous singer, but she no longer has the time for such trifle enjoyments, and as the music leaves Mae, she loses that sparkle that once made her shine brighter than a star. Irene is determined not to let what happened to Mae, happen to her.

I adored Irene. She is the kind of heroine that you cannot help but love. She is spirited, courageous and funny. She is talented, quick and ambitious. Irene knows what she wants, and nothing will stop her — not her friends, not her parents, nor her boyfriend. I really admired Irene for her tenacious determination to become the woman she wants to become despite the considerable opposition that she faces. Her mother does not want her to leave the farm. She wants Irene to settle down and get married. Irene's father is somewhat bemused by his daughter's ambition but indulges her, as father's often do. It isn't until Irene meets Spike that she realises that this is the young man who she was holding out for, but even then, she does not give up on her dreams. I thought Caugherty's depiction of Irene was simply marvellous.

And then there was Spike! Oh, my goodness! Caugherty has gifted her readers with a larger-than-life character who is not only an incredible dancer and a notorious flirt, but he is also filled with ambition. Like Irene, he comes from nothing and yet that does not stop him from carving out the life he wants. I adored everything about his characterisation — he is so much fun and so full of life — one could not help but like him.

Caugherty explores the agonies of death and the consequences of it in this book in great detail. Indeed, at times, death leads the narrative. Irene's relationship with her mother deteriorates very rapidly because of a death, and they lose each other because of the subsequent grief that her mother drowns in. The person Mrs Laresen becomes is a shadow of who she really is. All that Mrs Laresen has left is cold bitterness and contempt, which is incredibly tragic in itself but more so when she has nowhere to tunnel that bitterness. Unfortunately, she ends up throwing it at Irene. As I read this book, I could not help but wonder if Mrs Laresen saw the image of her younger self in Irene, and she did not like to see the reminder. Irene is full of dreams and ambition, and her soul is filled with music. Mrs Laurence's dreams were buried six feet under.

The mother-daughter relationship is a theme that is explored in great lengths during this novel. There are moments when Irene realises she is watching history repeat itself — Irene's daughter, Deirdre, is very similar in personality to her grandmother. Deidre is a very controlling and opinionated woman who likes to take charge, be in control. Deidre is a complete contrast to her mother but also her own daughter, Amy. Like, Irene, Amy will live her life the way she thinks she should and not the way her mother wants her to. Ironically, while Deirdre is telling her grown-up daughter how to live her life, she conveniently forgets that she refused to live the life her father wanted her to live as well. Irene watches all of this with an almost amused detachment. She loves both her daughter and granddaughter, and she knows that it will somehow all work out for the best.

The historical detailing in this book has to be commended. Caugherty has captured the very essence of what life would have been like on a wheat farm in Utah during the Great Depression of the 1930s. To watch as everything you have worked for is destroyed must have been utterly soul-destroying. This was a terrible time in American history which Caugherty has depicted with great skill and diligence. Kudos, Ms Caugherty.

I was blown away by this debut novel. I could have read a thousand pages more, and I still would not have had enough of this story and these characters. I loved every word, every sentence, every syllable. I was captivated from the opening sentence to that final full stop. Waltz in Swing Time by Jill Caugherty is an absolute triumph.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give Waltz in Swing Time a dynamite 5 stars! You are just going to fall in love with these amazing characters and most of all the strength and courage of our Heroine, Irene. It seems life just keeps throwing her one hardship after another but she never gives up, she keeps pursuing her dream of becoming a professional musician and you might ask, did she? well, you'll have to dive into this amazing tale and find that answer! Caugherty's writing is vibrant, sensational, deep, and just pulls at your heartstrings! If you love a story with fire, courage, one where the characters are beating all the odds, and deep emotion, then this is the tale for you! I highly recommend Waltz in Swing Time!

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waltz in Swing Time is a great story set in depression era Utah and in a 2006 assisted living residence. The main character, Irene Larsen, is like able as are those satellite characters surrounding her. Waltz in Swing Time is her lived experience with both joys and sorrows.
I felt as if I knew both the characters, my mother who was of a similar age during the ’30’s, and the trauma of events beyond our control as we have in this time of Wuhan flu.
Ms Caugherty captures the essence of the depression and the infirmity of the elderly in this novel. I did not want to put this book down. I look forward to reading more from Ms Caugherty.
I received this novel through a goodreads giveaway.

[Linda Ulleseit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel tugged at my heartstrings. The primary character is a 90 year old woman in an assisted living facility who is trying to preserve memories of her life for her children. Her daily struggles to be heard and understood made me look at my 92 year old father-in-law in a whole new light. The novel's dual timeline is also set in the Depression era, where a talented pianist lives in a creativity-killing household. Her determination, impulsiveness, and passion create a story that I couldn't put down. This book moves between timelines easily, presenting both stories with equal compassion. Highly recommended.

[Kerry Chaput · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really lovely story of a woman looking back on her ninety years. While struggling to adjust to her new life at a care facility, with health issues and memory slips, Irene remembers her youth on a struggling farm with a Mormon family. She finds herself longing for the simple, difficult days of the Great Depression. Caugherty captures the wildness of youth and the need to create a path separate from your family, and how some difficulties stay with us for the rest of our days. A beautiful reminder of how much we can learn from the older generation.

[Helen the Bassist · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75*
The first half of this book is a solid 5* read as we are introduced first to 89 year old Irene who has recently been moved into residential care by her daughter and then, through Irene's memories, interspersed with vignettes of her life in the home as she approaches her 90th birthday, to her teenage self growing up in Utah in a farming family during the depression years of the 1930s.
The privations and poverty of the era and their impacts are starkly portrayed. I wasn't quite as enamoured of the second half where Irene meets her beau, and there feels like a whole chunk of her life story is missing, referred to only in passing comments, but perhaps that is deliberate, evocative of the impact of age on memories.
I can't recall how I came about this book although I think it was a freebie, but I am so glad I did.

[Viga Boland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon asks “What did I like or Dislike?” Like” is too weak a word for how I feel about Waltz in Swing Time. I LOVED everything about it! For starters, it’s brilliantly written and easy to follow despite flipping from present to past. The author uses a fictional approach to deliver a memoir, not her own but that of her feisty and colorful great grandmother. Irene is a talented pianist, singer and actress, but in the depression era, her hope of following her musical dreams are seen as frivolous and selfish by her Mormon mother. Irene is expected to help the family by working on their struggling farm, marry a good local boy, have babies and continue the traditions of her predecessors. Irene is a good daughter but that life isn’t for her. She applies to, and is accepted into college. Once she meets Spike, a talented dancer, and elopes, it’s goodbye forever to farm life, and sadly, her parents. Irene’s story is the story of so many children desperately trying to please her parents at a price she cannot pay and be true to herself. Most readers will readily identify with her heartbreaking struggle and cheer her ultimate success.

But that story line isn’t the only thing that makes this novel unforgettable. We initially meet Irene as an old woman approaching 90. She shares her present life with other old people like herself, living on meds, fading in and out of sleep, gossiping about other residents and reliving her loving and fun-filled days before old age took Spike from her life. As she narrates her story into a little tape player, she occasionally reflects upon and analyzes humanity, and if readers are in their senior years, as I am, oh how we understand and agree with Irene’s musings.

Never once throughout the entire novel, was I bored. The author has done a fabulous job of capturing her grandmother’s spirit and delivering her universal messages. Don’t hesitate to purchase this book. If I could assign 10 stars, I would!

[Marilyn LaTona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice writing but lacked a good story

I read this hoping I was getting to the good part…you know, when something big happens that surprises you. But it never comes. Just a quiet family memoir about getting married, disappointing your parents with your career choices and finally what life is like in a nursing home. Not much meat to sink your teeth into but well written.

[Jean Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waltz in Swingtime by Jill Caughtery
Published: April 2020
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Genre: Women's Fiction, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction
Pages: 299
Available: ebook, paperback

Reviewers Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author Bio: Jill Caugherty is the author of Waltz in Swing Time, set in Depression-era Utah. Jill’s short stories have been published in 805Lit, Oyster River Pages, and The Magazine of History and Fiction. Her debut short story, “Real People,” was nominated for the 2019 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.

An award-winning marketing manager with over twenty-five years of experience in the high tech industry, Jill lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and daughter. You can learn more at https://www.jillcaugherty.com, or by following her on twitter @JillCaugherty.

Author Blurb: Growing up in a strict Utah farm family during the Great Depression, Irene Larsen copes with her family’s hardship by playing piano. Even after an unthinkable tragedy strikes, Irene clings to her dream of becoming a musician. When a neighbor's farm is foreclosed, Irene's brother marries the neighbor's daughter, who moves in with the Larsens and coaches Irene into winning leading roles in musicals. Clashing with her mother, who dismisses her ambition as a waste of time and urges her to become a farmer's wife, Irene leaves home.

During a summer gig at Zion National Park, where Irene sings in a variety show for Depression-weary tourists, she meets professional dancer Spike, a maverick who might be her ticket to a musical career. But ultimately she must decide whether pursuing her dream justifies its steep price: losing her home and family.

Alternating between Irene’s ninetieth year in 2006 at an assisted living home and her coming-of-age in the thirties, Waltz in Swing Time is a poignant tale of mother-daughter relationships, finding hope amidst loss, and forging an independent path, against all odds.

Plot in Brief: Soon to be nonagenarian, Irene has been forced into a assisted living facility by her failing health and her forceful but loving daughter. Irene decides to record her memoirs and sneaks away whenever she can to record the details of her early life. Raised in a Mormon family in Utah, she and her family struggle through the Great Depression. As Irene, a talented girl with aspirations beyond the farm, battles with her feelings for her family and her dreams she is forced to make life changing choices.

The Characters: Wow, I loved Irene. Spunky, gutsy, a good laugh, she was such a great character. I loved the interaction with her friends and caregivers at the Golden Manor. I appreciated her struggle to remain independent and the anger she felt when her daughter, with the best of intentions, railroads her to make decisions about her medical care and daily life. With the wisdom of age and life experiences, she is able to look objectively at the plight of her granddaughter, Amy, and offer solid advice. By the end of the book, I felt as If I knew her, she seemed so real so authentic.

Young Irene is also a delight. A dutiful daughter who loves her siblings. She battles to accept loss, death and to understand the complicated relationship she shares with her mother and father. The author paints a portrait of a young woman who struggles to balance her desire to please her mother and pursing a career. When she finally gets a taste of success and the freedom it brings she's torn between staying in the small farming community with her family or chasing the dream with the man she loves.

The History: The book toggles back and froth between 2006 and the 1930s. The years of the Great Depression were, well pretty damn depressing. Caughtery captures the daily grind of life on a small farm, the desperation and fear of losing everything you've worked hard for. She does a fantastic job of exploring the strict family dynamics of the era and attitudes and expectations towards gender and their assigned roles. I enjoyed the language, especially when Spike showed up with his hip slang and fast talking ways.

The Writing: Told in first person the narrative is fast paced and zips along. The prose is excellent and well edited. Overall a fantastic job.

Overall: In case you couldn't tell, I really loved this book. I can't find a single thing to complain about. From start to finish I enjoyed every page. The characters are so well drawn and so believable. Just a delight to read.

Recommendation: Any reader who enjoys historical fiction, coming of age and just general good fiction should appreciate this touching story.

I give this book 5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


See all my reviews at www.thebookdelight.com

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the main character of this novel on page 1. She reminded me a bit of my mom and a bit of the older women that I know in my life. Her story is beautifully told based on the current time when she is 90 years old, in failing health and living in assisted living along with flashbacks that take place when she was growing up during the Depression.

The novel begins in 2006 close to Irene's 90th birthday. She lives in assisted living, is having health problems but enjoys her life and her friends at the Manor. Well, she doesn't totally enjoy the manor but sees it as a place to live out her final days and make her children feel like they have done the right thing. She has started making tapes of her life so that her children know her whole story. Her memories take her back to Utah and the family farm in the 30s. Her family were strict Mormons and believed in hard work by all members of the family but Irene wanted more in her future than life on a farm. Her sister supported her dreams but her parents - especially her mother - wanted her to settle for farm life. Irene wanted to sing and dance and let her love of music and entertainment guide her life. She knows what she wants out of life and knows that to achieve it, she'll need a total separation from her family. When the opportunity comes to leave her old life, will she be brave enough to follow her dreams?

The story alternates between Irene's life in the 30s and her current life in assisted living. It's a story of mother-daughter relationships - both between Irene and her mother and her current relationship with her daughter. It's the story of a strong resilient woman who was determined to following her dreams.

This is a wonderful story that will make you smile and make you cry. Irene is a character who we can all connect with and she is a character who will not soon be forgotten. I loved, loved, love this novel!

[Kristine D · Rating 5 out of 5]

In four words, I loved this book. It’s sweet and sad and triumphant. I fell in love with all the characters, even the ones whose choices angered me. This is a story for the ages.

Irene is a smart, passionate young woman about to turn 18 in 1932, struggling to find the balance between what she wants and what she’s supposed to be. She is also the aging octogenarian in a retirement home in 2006, struggling with the end of her life. Family, money, passion, career, love all swirl together in the telling of a cautionary life that amounted to the life lesson of following your heart, but beware the costs.

This is no fairy tale. Irene is stubborn and makes risky choices at a time when women were supposed to act a certain way. She and her husband scrape by, staunchly adhering to their dreams, with no consideration for logic. In most books, this comes across as dreamy and whimsical. This book allows us to see the consequences of that mentality, even if those consequences are viewed retrospectively and sometimes through rose-colored glasses.

Waltz in Swing Time blends the past and the present beautifully, and quite literally dances between young Irene and old with grace and energy. The story never feels flat, with quick pacing and charming characters, brilliant triumphs, and catastrophic tragedies. To sum up, it tells the story of a life fully lived.

If you are looking for a raw, real portrayal of what it may be like to reach the end of your days, this is the book for you. It’s touching, poignant, funny, and sweet. It will cut you to the bone and then hold you until you feel better. This book feels like a hug for your soul.

[Suanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because of the similarities in Caugherty’s background and my own. My grandparents weathered the Dust Bowl and Depression in West Texas, and my grandfather followed the migrant farm worker circuit to make a living. In Waltz in Swing Time, Author Caugherty captures the depths of the Great Depression as well as the inevitable downward spiral of the elderly. Written in an almost memoir-like vein, the novel blends two time lines. In one (2006), Irene—the main character has been incarcerated in a fancy assisted-living residence by her daughter; the other is set during the 1930s with Irene as a teenager raised in a strict Latter Day Saints family in Utah.

Her mother wants Irene to be a staid farmer’s wife. Her father indulges his daughter somewhat but still wants her to marry and remain in Utah. Irene is not only spirited, but talented and ambitious. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it, even if it means rebelling against her family. She dances, has a good voice, and dreams of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. She is desperate to escape her home town. While working at Zion National Park, she meets Harold, a larger-than-life man, an incredible dancer—and a notorious flirt. Irene manages to capture him. He talks her into a marriage that won’t be recognized by the LDS. He becomes the catalyst that pulls her out of Utah.

If you like memoir and family-based historical fiction, you’ll enjoy this one.

[Hilpol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, despite the slight tinge of sadness it carries as it follows the main character, Irene. The novel flips back and forth between 2006 (when Irene is in an assisted living facility) and the depression era 1930s, when she was growing up in Utah. We get to learn about what life was really like back then, when children had to give up school to help their families survive, and paying $35 for a semester of college seemed as impossible as flying to the moon. In modern times, Irene is recording her memories for her children and grandchildren, remembering how she stumbled upon the path her life took. She's dealing with a slightly overbearing daughter who thinks she knows what's best for Mom while her health begins to slip away. The book brings up questions of how best to help aged parents as they navigate their inevitable decline, as well as mother-daughter relationships and letting your family members choose their own way. There is a wealth of amazing stories and information tucked away in the life stories of our parents and grandparents, and I really enjoyed reading this fictional account of how one young lady's life played out. Knowing that it's loosely based on the author's grandmother makes me happy to think that she was able to share some of her life history with her family.

[James W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Caugherty’s latest novel, Waltz in Swing Time, is a satisfying slice of historical-fiction that delivers a pair of gripping narratives set some seventy-five years apart.

Bouncing between a present-day nursing home and 1930’s Utah, Caugherty’s novel ultimately explores the Great Depression through the young eyes of the intrepid Irene Stallings as she grapples with love and heartache amid a backdrop of one of America’s darkest periods.

Reading almost like a biography, Caugherty's heartfelt narrative simmers from the first page to the last. From Irene’s unwavering musical aspirations (and the discord it inspires with her mother) to her decision to leave home and venture out on her own (eventually landing in Zion National Park), Waltz in Swing Time manages to populate its two vividly-constructed timelines with an endearingly colorful cast of characters.

While much of the story revels in a brooding tension created by seemingly insurmountable hardships, Caugherty’s novel ultimately provides a genuinely touching ending, one that resonates on multiple levels. For fans of emotionally-charged historical fiction, Waltz in Swing Time is highly recommended.

[Lucas Tennen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Caugherty pulls all the stops.

For some, the draw will be the historical aspect, the accurate and engrossing account of a family making ends meet during the great depression, grasping to tradition in order to make sense of the shambles of their time.

Whatever the draw may have been, you stay for Irene, our protagonist, for her struggle against near impossible odds, her defiant will, and massive dreams. I haven’t rooted for a character like this in a long time.

Irene’s youthful determination in the 30’s, is contrasted with a parallel storyline of Irene at the end of her life, living out her days in a retirement home, retelling and reflecting on the choices she’s made.

The relationships, while fictitious, are emotionally true. The character’s desires and obstacles are ones we all feel arising in our own lives. The youthful drive, having so much ahead of you yet unknown, and the elderly resignation of an entire life in the fog of your memory. Despite taking place almost a century ago, Irene resonates here and now through Caugherty’s craft.

Engrossing and impactful, I would highly recommend.

[Corrine Ardoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waltz in Swing Time by Jill Caugherty is a beautifully-written story about an elderly woman who is spending her final days in an assisted-living residence. She looks back on her youth and the times when she met the man she fell in love with and married. Caugherty's story thoroughly captivated my imagination and left me enthralled. The main character, Irene Larsen's growing-up years on a Utah farm during the Great Depression in the 1930's, is depicted so accurately and authentically, I felt transported to that era when life was very difficult, sometimes brutally so, and starkly barren. However, told through Irene's eyes, we are also shown the fullness and richness of her life on the family farm. We begin to grieve her youth along with her, recalling stories from our own parents and grandparents, realizing the need for compassion for those in care homes who have lost their independence and must surrender it to another's, perhaps their own children's, authority. The cover is perfect for this, sometimes, lively story of the life of a dancer and entertainer.

[Ginger Pinholster · Rating 5 out of 5]

You won't want to put this book down. It's a bold, passionate page turner that follows Irene, a talented teenager growing up in Utah during the Great Depression, in a household that stifles all creativity. Will she achieve her goals and enter the music and entertainment business? Will she avoid becoming an abused, oppressed farm wife like her friend and sister-in-law Mae? Will she find a true love who won't hold her down? I'm not about to spoil the book for you -- it's too good. The narrative skillfully glides back and forth between Irene's life in the 1930s and her days as a nonagenarian in an assisted living facility. All of the characters are so vividly drawn, they jump right off the page. The book's ultimately hopeful tone never waivers. Even when tragedy strikes, Irene's fundamentally kind, yet never cloying nature and her pluck and persistence are uplifting. Definitely give this book a read. It's an outstanding debut novel.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waltz in Swing Time is a historical fiction that fluctuates between 1930s and the early 2000s as main character Irene recounts the Great Depression and reflects on the fate of the elderly.

At the beginning of the story, youthful Irene sees a glimmer of trouble brewing through conversations her parents and community had.

“Wall Street and its problems and even Dad’s warnings seemed as distant as a foreign land you might read about in the paper, reflect upon idly then quickly forget - nothing that held personal meaning, no place you’d ever visit.”

Throughout the story traveling over a span of 70 years, Caugherty connects themes of love, loss, ambition, music, and family. I found the story to be interesting and well-written.

“Our old selves go unacknowledged, and isn’t that as good as letting them slip away unclaimed, as though they never happened?”

[Jean Holtof · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and thought the trips between past and present was well done and poignant. Irene Larsen has pushed limits while growing up during the Depression years and on a farm with harsh rules and work ethics. Defying those rules comes at a high price for Irene but is one she is prepared to pay to pursue her dreams and with such a character as Spike! The assisted living Manor tries to equalize everyone but Irene resists being 'normal' and does it her way till the very end. I loved the ending and that sense of the ongoing nature of humans, persisting through each generation. A lovely story that is very well written and encapsulates the human condition. Thank you Jill for a wonderful read.

[Michelle Stuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of Waltz in Swing Time in a Goodreads Giveaway and I am so glad that I did. The author did a fabulous job of taking the reader from 2006 back to the '30s to follow Irene's life. Wonderful descriptions of the Larson's farm and life during the depression. Characters that are relatable and likable. References to movies, actors, songs and their lyrics transported me back to the '30s. I love that time so seeing the references to the era really was a treat. My only wish would be to follow Irene and Harold through their early married years but then we'd have a much longer book. I'd definitely read more from this author. Five stars!

[T. Vand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caugherty captures the depths of the Great Depression as well as the inevitable downward spiral of the elderly. The novel blends two time lines. In one the main character has been incarcerated in a assisted-living residence while in the other Irene is a teenager raised in a strict religious family in Utah. Like with most Utah families, her parents want her to marry young and remain in Utah. But Irene is ambitious and leaves. I enjoyed how Irene forged her own way, remaining true to herself and finding love. But I also loved the other relationships like those between her and her mother.

[Melissa Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waltz in Swing Time is a cinematic, skillfully written novel--the story of a girl breaking from tradition, and from her family, in order to find her authentic self.
Often, when reading historical fiction, it's clear I am looking at the past through a modern lens. Not so with Caugherty's novel--she embodies her protagonist so completely that she authentically transports us to the time of the Great Depression. The story engrossed me, and I enjoyed it immensely.

[Gail Olmsted · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Waltz in Swing Time. Irene, the main character narrated the story from dual perspectives: as a young woman coming of age during the Great Depression and an aging woman residing in a nursing home. I found Irene to be authentic, stubborn and ultimately lovable as she made her way during very challenging times. I highly recommend this sweet, sad and sentimental novel.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was an easy, enjoyable read with engaging characters, a good mix of description and dialogue and an interesting plot that kept me turning the page. I found myself wanting more as I came to the end. Great for your summer reading list!

[Annette R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story

Jill weaves such a sweet story of a lovely lady growing up in the depression era. It was enjoyable watching her dreams play out. I loved the use of jumping between future and present to tie her current reality to her past.

[Denise Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A guide to aging

As I am in my mid 70's this book was especially touching. Getting old and frail is a fear many of us have and the way it is presented by Jill Caugherty is inspiring and beautiful.

[Phil Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alive

Thanks Jill a wonderful read So much material So aptly presented. So alive
The characters remain in my mind. Again