This is the title of a new historical fiction book by Katherine Paterson. She tells us the story of two children caught up in the infamous Lawrence, Massachusetts mill laborers strike of 1912. First w
e meet Jake, an American boy who works in the mill with Irish immigrants as he is looking for a warm place to spend the night rather than go home to his drunken father. Then we meet Rosa, daughter of Italian immigrants who loves school and learning but worries about her family becasue the mill wages are so low. The two children cross paths throughout the book as we see how short wages started the strike and various ethnic groups met with outside union organizers to continue the strike for better wages and living conditions. This slice of history even has Rosa and Jake traveling by train to Barre, Vermont, in a plan to give at least some of the strikers children a safe haven and a chance at better food, clothing, and housing. This relatively little-known piece of American history is brought to life along with all the horrors and problems that the Lawrence strikers faced.
e meet Jake, an American boy who works in the mill with Irish immigrants as he is looking for a warm place to spend the night rather than go home to his drunken father. Then we meet Rosa, daughter of Italian immigrants who loves school and learning but worries about her family becasue the mill wages are so low. The two children cross paths throughout the book as we see how short wages started the strike and various ethnic groups met with outside union organizers to continue the strike for better wages and living conditions. This slice of history even has Rosa and Jake traveling by train to Barre, Vermont, in a plan to give at least some of the strikers children a safe haven and a chance at better food, clothing, and housing. This relatively little-known piece of American history is brought to life along with all the horrors and problems that the Lawrence strikers faced.
No comments:
Post a Comment