<p><strong>'A reflective tale of growing up creative in a stifling environment and finding true love.' &ndash;<em>Kirkus Reviews</em></strong></p><p>Growing up in a strict Utah farm family during the Great Depression, Irene Larsen copes with her family&rsquo;s hardship by playing piano. Even after an unthinkable tragedy strikes, Irene clings to her dream of becoming a musician. When a neighbor&#39;s farm is foreclosed, Irene&#39;s brother marries the neighbor&#39;s daughter, who moves in with the Larsens and coaches Irene into winning leading roles in musicals. Clashing with her mother, who dismisses her ambition as a waste of time and urges her to become a farmer&#39;s wife, Irene leaves home.</p><p>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 whether pursuing her dream justifies its steep price: losing her home and family.</p><p>Alternating between Irene&rsquo;s ninetieth year in 2006 at an assisted living home and her coming-of-age in the thirties, <em>Waltz in Swing Time</em> is a poignant tale of mother-daughter relationships, finding hope amidst loss, and forging an independent path, against all odds.</p>