Lucy Fights the Flames: A Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Survival Story

Girls Survive

by Julie Gilbert, Alessia Trunfio (Illustrations)

In 1911, fourteen-year-old Lucy Morelli lives with her parents, older brother, and several youngers siblings in a crowded apartment in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Lucy dreams of going to college, but her Italian immigrant family relies heavily on her income from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory to survive. Lucy finds the factory work boring, but the working conditions are better than many other jobs. But when Lucy and her best friend, Rosie, head to work one Saturday in March, everything changes. Fire breaks out in the factory, and the doors are locked, trapping hundreds of workers inside. Lucy must battle the flames to save her own life -- and Rosie's. Readers can learn the real story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, one of the deadliest industrial disaster's in U.S. history, from the nonfiction backmatter in this Girls Survive story. A glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts are also provided.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Survival, Historical, Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books

103 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2019

About the author

Although Julie Gilbert’s masterpiece, The Adventures of Kitty Bob: Alien Warlord Cat, has sadly been out of print since Julie last stapled it together in the fourth grade, she continues to write.

Julie is the author of Cemetery Songs, a young adult novel about adoption, identity and the ghosts of the past. She has written several books for Capstone/Stone Arch Books, including the Dark Waters series and several titles in the Girls Survive series. Her novels consider themes of identity and belonging, along with a healthy dose of fantasy and magic. Her short fiction, which has appeared in numerous publications, explores topics ranging from airport security lines to adoption to antique wreaths made of hair. She is especially committed to diversity in her writing.

Julie is also a librarian. She loves working in libraries because she learns something new every day. Although she has also published extensively in the field of library science, her scholarship tends to have fewer plot twists and interesting characters than her novels and short stories.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is a pivotal event in the history of union formation in this country. When I found out about this new series I decided to read this one first because of the subject matter. Our heroine Lucy is only 11 years old, yet she and her brother are the main wage-earners for her family. Their father had an accident at work and was no longer able to do the job he had been hired for. As this book opens, Lucy is getting up for the day after having slept on the kitchen table. The family had rented out their only bedroom in order to make ends meet. Little details like this help give the reader a substantive sense of place and time. Like the I Survived series, there is also historical information provided at the end of the book. This is a series I will definitely be recommending to kids at our library.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent middle-grade historical fiction about the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory of New York City, in 1911.

Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.103)-“I hadn’t survived because I was somehow better or luckier than those who died. I’d survived because that’s just the way it worked out. I would have to live with that knowledge for the rest of my life.”

*I’ve stood across the street from the former Asch Building, now part of New York University. A small plaque is the only indication that 146 people lost their lives trying to escape from it.*

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Grief & loss depiction
Death of a child
Death of a friend
Fire (theme)

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Emmi in the City: A Great Chicago Fire Survival Story is fairly tame for a fire story, this one is extremely grim. The author did an amazing job of introducing Lucy's family, life as an Italian immigrant, and character before the disaster started, and wove in lots of essential information related to the historical period and the factory without any of it seeming like an info-dump. Then, as the fire starts, Lucy remains in danger for much of the story, moving around in the building and seeing most of the fire's impact.

The story is suspenseful, realistic, and gripping, but I could never have handled this as a sensitive young reader who was terrified of fire. That raises the question of what age group this book is really written for. All of the books in the series are brief, easy reads, and my library shelves them in our early chapter book section, but the main characters skew older, and there is a lot of heavy content that could overwhelm a younger audience and that older readers would get more out of.

I am very impressed with how well-researched and well-crafted this book is, but it is very dark. The majority of the story involves the fire, as it should, and a realistic number of the main characters' personal connections die in the fire. Although most of these books end on a hopeful note, this one is deeply grim. That is appropriate for the subject matter, but if someone is picking and choosing the less traumatic books out of this series for a younger or more sensitive child to read, this is one to wait on.

Older readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix, which deals with both the fire and many different elements of the aftermath.

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Massively tragic, many friends die (what else can you expect?) Yay, Unions, I mean really, YAY UNIONS. Not sure I buy Lucy wanting to be an astronomer, but it's a nice thought and I think Gilbert did an excellent job portraying the day to day lives of immigrants in turn of the century New York. Lots of good characters. The woman who kept saving Lucy was a bit of a mystery, but you can see the research and firsthand accounts shining though.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick historical chapter book that's clearly inspired by the 'I survived' series (I mean, it is called Girls Survive). Enjoyed the introduction of labor unions, the truly horrible conditions of immigrants in the early 20th century New York, as well as how the tragedy created many of the things we take for granted as far as workplace safety is concerned -- even fire drills??? I didn't know!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Lucy insisted I read this (after I checked it out for her, a rare win since I never guess what she wants to read!) and it was good. None of my kids had heard of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and we had good discussions, even among those who didn’t read it.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tragic story of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is told through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Lucy who dreams of going to college but instead must work in deplorable conditions at the factory to be able to help provide food for her impoverished family. When fire breaks out at the factory, Lucy bravely fights to save others in the terrible tragedy that took the lives of 146 workers, most of them young female immigrants.

When it was revealed that many workers had been locked in by the Triangle’s owners, people were so outraged that 1911 became a turning point for workers. Unions were formed enabling safer conditions and higher wages for factory workers.

The author provides photos of the destruction and many references where one can find more information

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old son and I both thoroughly enjoyed this quick chapter book in the Girls Survive series. He was not yet familiar with the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and the author centers Lucy's family of hardworking Italian immigrants before sending readers with Lucy into the flames. For a chapter book for younger readers, it was quite scary at times, especially the illustrations of the indoor conflagration, and the action scenes are very suspenseful...enough to keep readers hooked and hearts pounding, but not gruesome.

Back matter was helpful, though I wish there had been more labor history details. My son was appropriately outraged at the loss of life and the lack of accountability for the owners of the factory.

This would be an excellent historical fiction selection for Labor Day or any study of labor history, and an excellent pairing would be the nonfiction picture book Brave Girl: Clara Lemlich and the Shirtwaist Maker's Strike of 1909. Perfect for fans of action books and historical fiction. I have added it to my elementary library collection and I anticipate that I may need to buy additional copies.

[Law · Rating 2 out of 5]

Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Death of children and friends in a fire, grief and loss depiction

Lucy Fights the Flames by Julie Gilbert, illustrated by Alessia Trunfio and part of the Girls Survive series, was terrible in every way imaginable.

The story and characters were flat, especially Lucy, as she wanted to be part of a workers' union and then worked in a factory and saved people when it caught fire. That's it?

There was a plot point about unions, but it wasn't explored that much, and three of the characters died in a fire, which was horrific. The working conditions weren't explored in this book either, but they were abysmal in real life since the workers were underpaid. Lucy doesn't fight the flames, but instead she survives it with her life barely intact, but others don't. The ending was depressing since the book ended on a memorial procession of those who died in the fire, which was melancholy but a nice touch. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, especially not young readers. If you want to discover more about this event, research it instead of reading this novel.

Score: Two out of ten.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is part of a big Italian immigrant family. After her father was severely injured on the job last year, the family has relied on Lucy and her older brother to bring in enough income for them to survive. Lucy dreams of one day going to college, but her family values food more than education. Lucy is at her job in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory sewing away, and getting ready to go home when a fire breaks out. It is chaotic, doors are locked, they are 9 stories up, and Lucy is worried about her friends who work in other parts of the factory.

Lucy is the oldest girl in the Girls Survive stories so far. Her story is also one of the ones with the most fatalities. There is no particular order to this series, but you may want to wait on this title until readers are on the older end of the middle grade spectrum. Julie Gilbert says in the back that she used survivor stories to help write Lucy's story of the fire. It was an eye-opening look at this historic disaster, and also gives readers a peek into the limited options for girls in that time period. True to the history, Lucy is one of very few characters who makes it out of the factory alive, so be warned, there are deaths of people close to Lucy that you get to know in the first few chapters. On the other hand, for readers learning about the revolution of workers' rights in the early 1900s, this is a very memorable way to learn about why reform was needed and the disaster that sparked those in government to actual bring about changes. It is sad, but was important to spur people to reform.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content beyond some hand-holding. As mentioned, numerous deaths, several of people readers get to meet, but no gruesome descriptions of the dead. Lucy describes the disorientation and emotions of being caught in a fire. Probably not a good book to hand to anyone who has survived a fire.

[Joey Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a devastating story, my goodness I wasn’t expecting it be this emotional. I knew it would be sad, it’s such an incredibly sad piece of history but gosh it was really emotional and heartbreaking. So much unnecessary loss of life.

Lucy was a wonderful protagonist so full of life wanting so much more for herself than she was ever allowed to have. She dreams of going to college to study astrology but she’s stuck working at the shirtwaist factory to provide for her poor family. I loved her friendship with Rosie it was beautiful, though the circumstances were not nice I was happy she and Marcella were able to be somewhat friends by the end.

The whole event was so horrific, workers being trapped inside with the fire blazing on through section after section in the over crowded rooms with the doors locking in the fire. It was so scary reading about all that was happening, knowing so many were already losing their lives. You knew the saddest truth was coming, though you didn’t want to think of it, it was shatteringly heartbreaking.

I did wonder who the woman was that kept helping guide Lucy and many others to safety, I felt like the way the author wrote her she was based upon someone real from that time that actually did do all those heroic things, but there was no name mentioned.

This was a really well written story, it gave you a great look into the lives of the poorer immigrants of that time, the work that they were forced to do and not even earn enough from doing it. The horrific conditions they were stuck in and then the most tragic event that took so many lives. I also really liked the extra information the author provided at the end of the book, giving us a little more of an idea into what happened.

[Darlene Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy dreams of being an astronomer, but she is part of an Italian immigrant family in New York City and the family needs the income from her job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Girls work until they marry and then take care of their families. Her brother's support of unionizing the garment factories to improve working conditions and wages adds tension within the family. Friendships and romances between workers and members of the immigrant community quickly show the social importance of the factories in daily life. The work conditions inside the factory are described, but the story focuses more on Lucy and how she tries to escape the flames and help others. While the number of deaths is mentioned, much of the gory details are avoided and the focus truly is on survival.

[Madeline Bialecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire when I was in college, and it has haunted me ever since. It also made me commited to buying clothes made in the U.S. or from companies that have corporate commitments to non-sweatshop production. Finding this YA story about the fire, with the narrator a 14-year-old factory worker, offered a different view on the fire from other books I have read about it. I imagine Lucy's experience at the factory is similar to young girls working around the world in sweatshops, producing clothes at low-cost and turning high profits for the companies' owners.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great easy to read survival tale about a girl who was in the terrible triangle shirtwaist factory fire. The story allows you to get a sense of the time she was living in, the poverty that was rampant and the awful working conditions people endured simply to earn a small salary. Those who want to read more about the fire will be inspired to find fact books to learn more about the specific details that the story doesn't include.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fire is one of my favorite historical events. Little known fact: it was the largest workplace disaster until 9/11.

I'm giving this a solid five stars not only for the subject matter, but for the emotional punch at the end. This is the fourth Girls Survive story I've read, and to be honest -- it's a little rougher than the others. I don't know if a six year old would be emotionally fit for this one, but your ten year old will love it.

[Bella Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire last year in my U.S. history class. I found it really interesting and sad. I can't believe that this would happen because the owners were just so frigging CHEAP. Julie Gilbert did a great job of portraying the workers in the fire and how there were so few ways to escape. I loved this one and I wish that the book was longer.

[Shanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was even more engaging than I expected. The author did an excellent job of making Lucy a very relatable and memorable character. We got to her hopes and dreams. We got to feel the depth of her family’s struggle to survive. And we got to see how connected everyone around her was - which made the ending even more devastating and real.

I highly recommend this book.

[Katrina Kuhn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another 45 minute read.

I was enjoying this one at first, and getting to know Lucy, her siblings, and friends she worked with in the factory. However, once you get to the fire in which she goes back not once — not twice — but three times in attempt to save others instead of herself? A 14-year-old? It felt unbelievable.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction for younger children about how early 20th century life was for a regular girl, who just happened to have something major happen to her. Personally, I felt like screaming at Lucy every time she thought I should go somewhere else, not outside! But, in the moment and panic, I can understand. Still an important topic for children to learn about today!

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was not very hopeful at the end of the book, which was a little depressing especially since all the others I’ve read in this series are hopeful at the end.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd only heard about this tragedy briefly before reading this, so I appreciate once again that they are highlighting lesser known events in this series.

[Haley Hensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classroom read! Learned so much about the triangle shirtwaist factory fire. Actually insane what happened.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the intended age range (8-12) I think this did an excellent job of giving the reader someone to identify with, while also giving the reader accurate information about a historical event.

[Kelly Prats · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea about the original tragedy and learned quite a bit. Another reminder of how badly we (as a country/world) treat immigrants who just want a chance to be successful. Terribly sad.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty horrific, but thankfully not TOO graphic for the upper elementary audience