In the early 20th Century, labor unions were struggling to gain a foothold in the American West, where mining barons owned every element of many towns. Spokane, Washington, was a booming city at that time, with several rail lines converging on the city, bringing plenty of transient workers to work the mines, crops, and other industries, but with little pay for their hard labor. In 1909 and 1910, the widening gap between the upper class and working class came to a head, with the IWW union staging a series of protests, which quickly became riots once the Spokane police force got involved. The Cold Millions offers a fictionalized version of those riots, telling the story of the Wobblies who fought and were arrested, as well as the union leaders who came in afterward to continue the fight. While it took a bit to get the story rolling, once it started moving, this was an engrossing and enlightening story, bringing to life several real-life leaders, including the formidable Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who took on the fight while 19 and pregnant. Highly recommended for those who want to know more about the history of the IWW.
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