Customer Reviews

Ten Cents a Dance

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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.

Reviewed by: JodiG.

Ruby Jacinski is desperate to get out of Chicago's meat-packing yards and start her life. This dream is far out of her reach though when she has to drop out of school and take a job in order to support her family after her mother's arthritis makes it impossible for her to work. And at twelve dollars a week, Ruby is going nowhere fast. But when a neighborhood boy tells her that she can be raking in forty dollars a week by doing what she loves most, dancing, Ruby jumps at the opportunity, even if it is a shade less than respectable. But unless she's careful, Ruby may find herself in deep trouble that she won't be able to dance herself out of.

Fletcher's eye-opening and authentic novel of the brutality of life of the poor in 1940's Chicago is one that readers will succumb to easily, and won't be able to leave anytime soon. Ruby's sass and attitude will make her an instant favorite, and you can't help but root for this spunky girl as she learns the ups and downs of taxi dancehalls and struggles to keep out trouble. Fletcher's descriptions of that life, without being inappropriate, are enough so that you don't pity Ruby, but rather admire the strength and character of this girl, who had to grow up entirely too quickly.

http://thecompulsivereader.blogspot.com/

This book was exactly what I'd been looking for. I wanted to read something entertaining but with depth, preferably about a strong young woman and that is what I got and more. I was transported into a different time era that felt authentic. It's 1941 and I'm right there with Ruby, in the dancehall, at the jazz clubs, beside her when she's lying to her mother.

I felt her need to be young, to have fun, to help her family and I admired her courage. Loved this book. Everything about it was pitch-perfect and I hope this author keeps writing!

During WWII, a 16 year old girl is forced to drop out of school to support her family. Her father is dead and her mom almost crippled with arthritis from working in a meat packing plant. She begins works at the plant but between the awful work and low wages, she wants something better. She gets a job as a "taxi-dancer," dancing with me for money. She lies to her family about her job and soon finds herself over her head and doing things she never thought she'd do.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt immersed in the era because of the language, the clothes, the way the family and neighbors interacted but teens today will still relate to Ruby's desire for fun and independence. This was well-written, fast moving book. I would definitely recommend it to teen girls.

One of the more unique stories I've read this year, Ten Cents a Dance, written by Christine Fletcher is written on a subject that I had yet to encounter in a young adult book. The writing was fantastic, the characters lovely, and the overall presence of the novel fresh and new. Oh...and the cover? I wanted to see the rest of that photo SO badly! Most mysterious...Definitely a winner!

Living in the 1940's during incredibly difficult times, 15 year old Ruby is forced to quit school and work to support her ill mother and younger sister. Laboring in a factory packing pigs feet into jars is not exactly Ruby's idea of glamorous and she knows that she's being made old before her time. Her joints ache, her fingers are swollen, and her heart simply isn't in her job. Can you blame her?

When a super slick bad boy gets her a job doing something Ruby really loves, dancing the nights away, she feels like she's fallen into a movie. Being paid to simply dance with men, maybe flirt with them a bit, and to often leave the dance hall for dinners and nights out on the town, all dressed in pretty clothes and her makeup done, Ruby loves her new, rich lifestyle. Unfortunately, her job is looked down upon by most people, considered almost prostitution and Ruby knows she can never let her mother find out how she is now making money for the family. Soon, Ruby is drawn so far into the world of dancing and fantasy, she begins to fall into trouble and isn't quite sure how to get herself out. She can't trust anyone in the business and isn't even sure she can trust herself any longer.

The premise of Ten Cents a Dance is mesmerizing and the descriptions of the people, clothes, and atmosphere is simply amazing. I was hooked from the first page and will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I possibly can. For sure, one of my favorites of 2008!

Before reading this book, I hadn't read a ton of detailed historical fiction before. I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, and surprisingly, it really struck a chord with me. I loved how it covered a time period that I didn't know much about and how we were able to see it all through the eyes of someone who was easy to relate to, and real. Ruby reacted the same way any of us would have reacted in her situations and for that, I was drawn into the story completely. It slowed down a little at some parts, but there was sure to be a huge twist on the way to pull me under again. I also liked how this book wasn't so much about the action, but about the setting and making it come alive for the reader, which it really did. I was able to perfectly picture the dance hall, the black and tans, the dresses Ruby wore, and the factory she worked at in the beginning of the book. Description and details were everywhere which was wonderful. I think the other thing that made the book work was how the plot wasn't sugar coated - it showed the ugly underside of life in the 40's; not glossing over the gory parts. I was able to read about what things would have actually been like had I been living in those times. The plot twists were realistic and unexpected and everything felt as if it had been carefully planned out to add more to the story. I would definitely recommend this book if your looking for something that will teach you things but also take you back in time and sweep you away into a world that you never thought you'd experience. Even if you aren't a history lover, you'll definitely like Ten Cents A Dance.

I have to say when I read this book from the first chapter I felt like I was transported into Ruby's 1920 life. The slang that's used when she and her friends used and the social etiquette, ie. asking what parish one is from before concidering a dance, was not what I expected but, I liked it!

Ms.Fletcher paints a grand and vivid story for her readers that will pull you in and takes a couple of turns I didn't expect, but in a good way.You can see that she did a great deal of research/ already had a great deal of knowledge of this era. The ending though, was a little bit of a let down. I felt it was like she tied a nice bow on the story to make it perfect by the end...I feel there could have been a better ending to Ruby's fast paced life in after taxi dancing. One of the most interesting finds in this story though, is the authors note about what inspired her to write this book.

Kudos to Christine Fletcher for a great story!

This was a wonderful book for sixteen and up.

Ruby, a sixteen year old living in the poor industrial area of Chicago, is a dropout, working in a factory where she packs pigs feet in brine to make money. Her widowed mother, can't get a job with knotted arthritic hands. She is left to spend her days sliding around in brine, and calculating how to pay for their next meal, back rent, and coal for the cook stove.
She is already feeling the tedious life that lays in front of her until Paulie, a local bad boy tells her about a job as a dance instructor at Starlight every evening. She is dazzled by the lovely girls in furs and jewelry. Mel, her new boss tells her the job pays a nickle for each dance plus tips, and Ruby finally sees a way to pull her family out of poverty. Worried about her religious mother's reaction, Ruby manages to hide her new job from her family and tells them she will be a phone operator.

The best part of her new life is Paulie, who shows her the exciting underbelly of crime. Ruby maneuvers her way into the routine of dancing and balancing her life, but the life of fast money comes with prices. It seems that while their clients were generous with money, they expected a lot more than she ever dreamed. Soon Ruby is tangle in a web of her own lies and faced decision that with change who she is, forever.

This book is a wonderful historical fiction read, but also a great warning to young people who may start down a questionable path with good intentions. There is also a message about abusive relationships that I wish was a more prominent part of the book. I love the characters in this story. They are developed, but not with writing, but what is left unsaid. I found myself filling the blanks for many of the mysterious supporting characters. This story is rich in detail, accuracy, and makes you take a hard look at what people will do to keep up illusions.

This is a book I picked up because I judged it by its cover. Sometimes I really love when I do that! (Okay, I read the first few lines to be sure...)

Ruby is the oldest daughter of a Polish father and an Irish mother. Her father died years ago, her mother can no longer work in the factory due to arthritis, and so Ruby has quit school to go work in the factory - and ends up packaging pig's feet. That tidbit right there had me in her corner and I totally justified the decisions she makes in order to leave the life of a factory girl behind. And honestly, who wouldn't? Never mind that `good girls don't act like that' tone we get from her mother and friends (we're in Chicago in 1941) which really just kind of grates on my nerves, but does add to the story.

In the past, I have also liked the bad boys, and that also helped me to identify with Ruby. Sometimes the bad boys are just so danged intriguing! Paulie is Ruby's bad boy of choice. She knows he's got a bad reputation, knows her mom doesn't want her to see him, knows that he steals and subconsciously she knows he could and probably does worse, but she blocks that out. After all, he got her that great dress to wear at the job he recommended she try: that of a taxi dancer. Ruby's story really revolves around her job as a taxi dancer and learning the ropes of how to reel in fishes (guys who will fork over their money), all the while lying to her mom and sister saying she's a telephone operator. Her mother is amazing to me in that at first she questions the money and the things that Ruby is bringing home, but she soon stops. Their life has become so much easier! Their rent is all paid up, there's coal in the bin for the winter, and food besides beans on the table. Ruby intends on keeping it that way, but the question becomes: just how far will she go?

Honestly, Ruby went farther than what I thought she would. But she also learns some valuable life lessons on the way: nothing in life is free (especially when it deals with gifts and favors from men - particularly in this time period and setting), Paulie is not necessarily as wonderful as she first thought, your younger siblings do watch how you behave, and just how do you go back to being a kid after having to be an adult? I find that last question the most fascinating quality of this book: Ruby wonders how she could ever go back to her boring old canning factory life (or even school) knowing what she knows now about the way men and women operate, and the world in general. I think that there are probably a lot of kids out there who do something they know their parents will not be happy about. I would hope that most parents would be forgiving and help their child learn from their mistakes, but while that may not always be the case, it's important for kids (and adults) to know that you can change what you've become. Ruby has given me faith that people can change for the better.

Notes on the Cover:
I love Ruby's profile at the top with the black background throughout. I love the red font of the title, and I particularly love the men in the pinstripe suits and hats at the bottom. I want to be in Chicago in 1941! I also want to go to a taxi dance hall!

Rating: 4.5

Ten Cents A Dance was a jazzy, heart-breaking story of a fifteen year old girl trying to support her family in the 1940's. The dialogue of the era was spot on and it flowed perfectly with the plot. Ruby, was a good girl at heart with a mind of a strong-willed woman. Her innocence was respectable but flawed by her poor judgment. The moment she fell for the neighborhood's bad boy her life changed. He introduced her to the job of a taxi dancer, a job where women paraded themselves in dancing with men seeking a good time. At first, she didn't fit in but once she got the hang of it nothing stood in her way.

However, it wasn't all fun and games. This job was a dangerous playground if you got caught up in the game of manipulation. She sometimes had to sacrifice her boundaries and values for the price of money. Ruby was alone with this secret, to her mother she was a telephone operator. But, in order to keep her family life afloat she had to swallow her pride and continue to work. She and her family started living comfortably once the money started rolling in. However, Ruby passed through a lot of bumps that forever changed the little girl her mother once knew. I admired her struggle to save herself and figure out the best alternative for her future. I really enjoyed this book because I felt like I was with Ruby on her journey to self-discovery. Also, the 1940's dancing scene was fun, it made me want to learn the jitterbug and all the old school dances. I look forward to reading more works by Christine, she has a way of capturing her audience and leaving them wanting more.