Fire

Once Upon America

by Barbara Diamond Goldin

Rosie dreams of quitting school to go to work in a factory despite older sister Freyda's complaints about the brutal, unsafe conditions at work, in a story set against the tragedy of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens

64 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1992

Reviews

[Miss Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

gr 3-6 51pgs

1911, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory NYC. 11 year old Rosie's parents don't approve of her older sister Freyda working on Shabbat or of her involvement with the labor meetings. After the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory where Freyda works, will Rosie's parents change their mind and attend the labor meetings with her?

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of my husband's family worked as "heavies" for the Labor Union, so I know quite a few unsavory aspects of the Union, especially from the 1960s through to the 1980s. But it is important to remember that unions were necessary to give the workers basic human rights because the factory owners weren't willing to.

This story is competently told, but does leave gaps and questions.