Elsie’s family is living through hard times. When the Depression hits Canada, Elsie’s father abandons her, along with her mother, grandmother, and uncle, forcing them to move out of their home and struggle to make ends meet.

The narrative of Lois Peterson’s new novel is built around the phenomenon of Depression-era dance marathons. Forced to dance for up to 30 hours in the hope of winning money, desperate people were exploited by greedy organizers. Elsie discovers the seedy underbelly of this fad when she is drawn into its world by a family secret.

The novel’s younger characters are authentic, and readers will have no trouble seeing the world through Elsie’s 11-year-old eyes. Similarly, Ernest “Scoop” Styles, Elsie’s charming and curiosity-driven friend, is ably crafted. Both characters allow Peterson to explore the effects of the Depression on families and on the notion of childhood. Well-selected period details give the book shape and depth.

One criticism lies in what is held back, what the narrative refuses to say. Given the novel’s target age group, Silver Rain might have greater impact if the author allowed the story to be darker and grittier. At times it feels as though Peterson is trying to keep her readers safe, briefly touching on, but quickly moving away from, sad or confrontational themes.

Peterson could have taken a cue from the fiction of Deborah Ellis, which unabashedly depicts the horrors many children must live through, while providing readers with room to respond, reflect, and challenge their view of the world.