Uprising By Margaret Peterson Haddix

I love a good story about strong and independent women and this book had not only one powerful female character but three. The girls in this book are young and hardworking and I find them to be incredibly inspiring. I grew up reading Margaret Peterson Haddix and I was looking through my bookshelf when I picked this one up again and I can't believe I didn't revisit it sooner.

When we think of New York City, we see a soaring buildings, high-end fashion, and glam throughout but NYC wasn't always like this. About a century ago, New York City was just as busy as it is now but the social environment was completely different. Labor movements were emerging and women were becoming more and more empowered. Although these crucial events were occurring throughout the novel, the main event was the the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.

The story follows the life and experiences of Yetta from Russia, Bella from Italy and Jane from a very wealthy family.

Margaret Peterson Haddix uses strong descriptions to portray the terrible conditions that the girls had to work in. She uses a strong narrator to tell the story and I was happy that the story still managed to incorporate the unique voices of each of the girls. They were all so different, the only common thread they had was their place of work.

Slowly each girl begins to realize the significance of getting the rights they deserve and helping others.

Once I reread this book, I can remember why this was one of my favorite books from my childhood. I think it tells a great story about becoming more aware of the world around you. We always hear about the Industrial Revolution that took place all over world but we don't always hear about how bad the working conditions actually were. This book shed a new light on the women's rights movement and the Industrial Revolution, two important events.

Anyway, I loved this little blast from the past. I love looking back at the books that I used to read years ago. I hope you liked reading this post and let me know if you have read this book or any other books about Margaret Peterson Haddix or about any of these topics.