Growing up on a farm during the Great Depression, Irene Larsen copes with her family’s hardship by playing piano. Even after an unthinkable tragedy strikes, Irene clings to her dream of becoming a musician. When a neighbor's farm is foreclosed, Irene's brother marries the neighbor's daughter, who moves in with the Larsens and coaches Irene into winning leading roles in musicals. After clashing with her mother, who dismisses her ambition as a waste of time and urges her to become a farmer’s wife, Irene leaves home. During a summer gig at Zion National Park, where Irene sings in a variety show for Depression-weary tourists, she meets professional dancer Spike, a maverick who might be her ticket to a musical career. But ultimately she must decide: Does pursuing her dream justify its steep price of losing her home and family?

Alternating between Irene’s ninetieth year in 2006 at an assisted living home and her coming-of-age in the thirties, Waltz in Swing Time is a poignant tale of mother-daughter relationships, finding hope amidst loss, and forging an independent path against all odds. This debut was published in April 2020.

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Black Rose Writing.

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PRAISE

“Over the course of this bright novel, Caugherty manages to seamlessly transition between two wildly different decades while maintaining a fresh, youthful voice—which is essential in a book about an ambitious dreamer who struggles through hard times... It’s a hopeful yet realistic story, and the letters that Irene receives from her future husband are a particular joy to read… A reflective tale of growing up creative in a stifling environment and finding true love.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Visually lush and emotionally stirring, Jill Caugherty’s WALTZ IN SWING TIME takes the reader on a journey into the bittersweet past of passionate, talented Irene Larsen, a girl who comes of age during the Great Depression and manages to survive it by her wits.” Indie Reader (4.7 Star Review)

“After reading Waltz in Swing Time by Jill Caugherty, I wanted to go hug my grandparents. This lovely work is based on the life of the author’s grandmother, and the importance of family is emphasized throughout the book. The chapters flow smoothly between the current situation of the protagonist, as she fights the battles of old age, and her recollections of her youth on a farm in 1930s Utah. The writing style is easy and accessible, the imagery vivid. You can feel the kitchen floor under the protagonist’s knees as she scrubs the wooden floorboards, and you can see the awe-inspiring colors of the desert when she visits Zion for the first time…I am looking forward to reading more work from Mrs. Caugherty. This one definitely gets four to-be-read piles! Add it to yours!” - Read Local Books

“Memory’s Songbook,” Review by Anna McFadyen in the NC Literary Review Winter 2022 Online Magazine

Review by Blogger Jennifer, Tar Heel Reader

One of Read Local Book’s Recommended 2020 Holiday Gift Ideas

Voted a 2020 Recommended Read by Haywire Books

Voted Best Read of November 2020 by Girl-Who-Reads

“Waltz in Swing Time is a moving account of a life long-lived, the extraordinary stories behind a seemingly ordinary woman. Shifting masterfully between the past and present, Caugherty renders the indignities of old age and the early history of Irene’s life with equal richness. A lovely debut novel from a deft and insightful writer.” Rae Meadows, bestselling author of I Will Send Rain and Mercy Train

“This gripping, vivid novel, set against Depression-era Utah and a modern-day, upscale retirement home, is at once a portrait of the complicated bond between mothers and daughters, a thrilling love story, and a powerful meditation on the meaning of freedom. Born into a devout Mormon family, Irene Larsen must cut ties with both family and church to pursue her dream of performing on stage. Fierce - and fiercely talented - Caugherty’s heroine will imprint herself on readers, and they will be glad she did. This is a beautiful debut by a gifted author.” Abigail DeWitt, author of News of Our Loved Ones and Dogs

“In this poignant debut novel, which sparkles with a love of music, the character of Irene Larsen overcomes myriad obstacles to blaze her own path. Deftly moving between 2006 and the Depression-era 1930s, Jill Caugherty paints a vivid portrait of a woman transformed by both circumstance and her own decisions.” Heather Bell Adams, author of Maranatha Road and The Good Luck Stone

“Waltz in Swing Time is a powerful testament to music’s timeless ability to inspire our passions and even define our fates. With a narrative that jumps effortlessly between the protagonist’s formative years during the Great Depression and her latter years in 2006, Jill Caugherty’s debut novel brings to life an era that is falling further and further into the reaches of history, as well as the struggles that those who lived through it endured.” Daniel Maunz, author of Questions of Perspective

“On its surface, Waltz in Swing Time is the story of Irene Larsen and how she meets the love of her life. There is more, though. We’re in the mind of Irene at 89 years old as she looks back on her life. We see her inner struggles as she faces deteriorating health and memory, the present replaced with visions of the past. At times poignant and always engaging, Jill Caugherty’s debut novel is awash with word salads and a narrative that calls to mind Goodbye Mr. Chips. A moving story of love, growing old, and remembrance.” Caleb Rocke, author of As Seen in a Mirror: Beginning of the End

”In case you couldn't tell, I really loved this book. I can't find a single thing to complain about. From start to finish I enjoyed every page. The characters are so well drawn and so believable. Just a delight to read.” The Books Delight Review

“ In Waltz in Swing Time, Author Caugherty captures the depths of the Great Depression as well as the inevitable downward spiral of the elderly. Written in an almost memoir-like vein, the novel blends two time lines. “ Suanne Schafer, Midwest Book Reviews

”I was blown away by this debut novel. I could have read a thousand pages more, and I still would not have had enough of this story and these characters… I was captivated from the opening sentence to that final full stop. Waltz in Swing Time by Jill Caugherty is an absolute triumph. I Highly Recommend.” Mary Anne Yarde, The Coffee Pot Bookclub