UPRISING Three Young Women Caught in the Fire That Changed America

Haddix weaves the historical facts of immigration, the struggle for women’s suffrage, the birth of the labor movement, and the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 into the lives of three very different fictional young women. Bella is a newly arrived Italian immigrant; Yetta, a reform-minded Russian Jew; and Jane, the daughter of an upper-class businessman. Suzanne Toren distinguishes between immigrant and citizen, worker and boss, upper class and lower class, as well as between Italian, Yiddish, and English accents. She makes believable the unlikely friendship of the protagonists and creates an empathetic atmosphere that makes listeners admire the courage it took for these disenfranchised to stand up for themselves and demand their rights. An extensive author’s note fleshes out the historical context of the story. N.E.M. 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]