There is a dual timeline in the story: Silver Dollar’s life in Chicago in the 1920s and the retelling of events to her mother, Baby Doe. These shifts in time are marked by the changes in the price of silver, which serves as a recurring theme throughout the book. The Tabor’s wealth came from silver mining, and Baby Doe is left to tend to their mine after her husband’s death. Silver had a high price during Silver Dollar’s life, but declined upon the recounting of her life. I enjoyed this comparison because it showed the difference in pricing and the state of the economy. 

The development of both Echo and Silver in the book was an interesting.  Although Silver suffered from what can be described as dissociative identity disorder, each personality played a main role.  When Silver wanted to break away from Echo and go towards a more respectable living, Echo kept aiming for questionable and risky behavior.  Both halves created the whole Silver Dollar.  This gave some insight into this disorder and how complicated it can be.  I liked how this book addressed her mental illness.

I enjoyed Carl as a character in the book.  Hopelessly in love with Silver, he did his best to take care of her.  Even though he was not able to save her, he makes a film of the Tabors to showcase her life. He wanted to clarify events in order to make Silver proud.  Carl was fascinated by Silver, but was never able to fully understand her due to her multiple personalities.  Echo refused to settle and kept pushing Carl away.  This character shows that despite distance and time, you can always have love and care for someone. 

I enjoyed reading this book and was eager to learn more about Silver Dollar and her life. The author includes more back stories of the dark side of Chicago and Silver’s adventures on her website. Highly recommend.