Review of Silver Echoes

[Catherine Sweet]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Silver Echoes" by Rebecca Rosenberg.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Silver Echoes by Rebecca Rosenberg is historical fiction based on a true story. Rosenberg is an award-winning and bestseller author of several historical novels about women, including the Gold Digger series and the Champayne Widows series.

The story is about Silver Dollar Tabor from 1915 and her mother, Baby Doe, from 1932. Silver grew up in a successful, wealthy family in Colorado. Now, her family have lost all their money, and the silver mine is a struggling business. When Silver experiences a traumatic event, it awakens her alter ego. Determined to follow her dreams she moves to Chicago to pursue a career in show business. Her closest relationship is with her friend Carl, a screenwriter. Silver has everything she needs to succeed. She has the looks, talent, and drive, but many obstacles come her way. She becomes the headline act at the biggest club in Chicago, but gangsters own it, and she is drawn into that world. Struggling to survive, she is also battling against her alter ego and the trouble it causes.

Some years later, Silver’s mother, Baby Doe, struggles to run the family’s silver mine. She agrees to help Carl, the screenwriter, who is making a film about the family’s history. Investors in the mine are piling pressure on her, and she is looking for a way out. She is deeply worried about Silver, who has disappeared and is desperate to know what happened to her.

The author does a good job of combining the different storylines in this book. The stories are well organised, allowing readers to bounce between different times without confusion. The characters are well drawn. I thought Baby Doe and Carl were particularly realistic and believable. The descriptive writing is effective in conjuring up scenes. There is a compelling scene when Baby Doe takes Carl into the silver mine. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this tense and realistic storyline.

Although the sensory imagery is compelling, sometimes I thought it was overused. It worked well in the more important scenes but could have been toned down at other times.

Silver Echoes would appeal to readers who enjoy historical stories with strong female characters. I have taken a star off for the point in the paragraph above and editing errors. I award this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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Silver Echoes
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[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

Thank you for penning such an easy-to-read review. I enjoyed reading it. You made sure that everything about the book was known, without revealing too much. Keep up the good work.

[Darci Brainard]

This book sounds like a great read! The period of time that you mentioned in your review is of such interest to me. Judging by what you've said about the obstacles and struggles, I think I might have to give it a try! Thanks for a great review!

[Mark Lazarus]

The dual timeline and mother-daughter dynamic seem intriguing, especially with the contrast between Silver’s showbiz struggles and Baby Doe’s fight to keep the mine afloat. I also like historical fiction that delves into lesser-known real-life figures, so that aspect is appealing. However, overly descriptive writing can sometimes pull me out of a story rather than immersing me in it. I’d be interested in the historical backdrop and the family drama, but I’m not sure this one would be a priority on my reading list.