Lois Peterson

Lois Peterson
Author ~ Creative Writing Instructor ~ Storyteller

Silver Rain
Orca Book Publishers Oct. 2010
ISBN 9781554692804

You have to be desperate to dance till you drop.

Abandoned by her father during the Depression, eleven-year-old Elsie lives
in the garage behind her old house with her mother, grandmother and
out-of-work uncle. Elsie’s friend Ernest accompanies her as she searches for
her father in the city, encountering unfriendly hoboes, food lines and shanty
towns.
After both her uncle and her mother disappear as well, Elsie and Ernest
spend their time trying to get the “scoop” on a story about a local dance
marathon, where Elsie finds joy, even as she witnesses despair.

The hoboes took one step toward her.

As Elsie took another step back, her foot caught on a chunk of stone.
She felt her ankle twist as she stumbled to catch her balance.

The men stepped forward again. Bigger steps this time.

Elsie could smell smoke and sweat and a stink like rotten potatoes. In a
sliver of light between the hoboes, she saw Dog Bob being hauled away. But she felt frozen in place, with a chill creeping down her legs and up into her collar. The Reverend had been right. She shouldn’t have come.

REVIEWS

Booklist

Terse, grim, and funny, the plainspoken narrative from Elsie’s viewpoint beautifully conveys a child’s sense of the times, as her search for her father takes her from the rough local shantytown to the dance marathon, where people compete for days until they drop, just for the chance to earn a few dollars.

The surprises are never melodramatic, even as they build to an ending that reveals what

despair can force the desperate to do.

Kirkus
The search for family and relationships in tough times rings true… An absorbing and perceptive story.
Read the full review here.

Quill & Quire
The novel's younger characters are authentic ... allow Peterson to explore the effects of the Depression on families and the notion of childhood. Well-selected period details give the book shape and depth.

CM Magazine
Themes of bleak hopelessness, destitution, and helplessness permeate this gritty, true-to-life story of the 'Dirty Thirties.' It would be a solid addition to libraries… Recommended. Full review here.

CD Syndicated
Silver Rain is They Shoot Horses, Don't They? for the tween set and it must be read… After you pick your jaw up from the floor, however, you'll find that this story feels wholly and respectfully authentic to its time period… Peterson gets the little, evocative details just right.

RESOURCES

The Great Depression in Canada
A backgrounder for teachers and readers, with suggested reading and activities.

Silver Rain Word Search

Enjoy searching for words that are found in the story

Silver Rain contest - coming soon

PHOTOS

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