Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Auc
Genres
Collection
Publication
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (2002), Edition: 1st, 256 pages
Description
Sixteen-year-old Margaret Rose Nolan, newly arrived from Ireland, finds work at New York City's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory shortly before the 1911 fire in which 146 employees died.
Subjects
Original publication date
2002-05-01
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member KimDV
I would have liked to give this 3 1/2 stars, but unfortunately that is not possible on this site.
The story moved quickly and was interesting. I just wish there had been more about the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and it's aftermath. If so, I would have given it even more stars.
When I read historical fiction, I hope to learn something about a time period/event in history while enjoying the plot of a good fictional story at the same time. I was able to do that with this book, but the reader has to wait until more than halfway through the book to get to the fire at the factory. The first half of the book was interesting though, and through Rose, the reader learns what is what like to enter America through Ellis Island and try to live (particularly as an immigrant) in the bustling city of New York in the early 1900s.
It is evident that the author did her research on life in New York in 1911 and the fire itself through her descriptions of certain scenes throughout the story. An early traumatic scene in a sweatshop is described vividly and the whole part of the story dealing with the fire and it's aftermath is heart wrenchingly realistic.
I would recommend this book to those interested in this time period of American history, or Irish immigration to NYC. I chose this book since I couldn't find any adult historical fiction on the Shirtwaist Factory fire (a problem I also had when searching for a book on the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII, and found a good YA book for that). While it took more than half of the story for Rose to even start working at the factory (deplorable working conditions), I did still find the book worth the read and enjoyable.
The story moved quickly and was interesting. I just wish there had been more about the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and it's aftermath. If so, I would have given it even more stars.
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The cover of the book shows an old photograph of the factory, which, along with the title, led me to believe the story of the fire would be a greater part of the story. However, the main character, Rose, does not even begin to walk to her first day of work at the factory until the chapter beginning on page 154 in a 250 page book! When I read historical fiction, I hope to learn something about a time period/event in history while enjoying the plot of a good fictional story at the same time. I was able to do that with this book, but the reader has to wait until more than halfway through the book to get to the fire at the factory. The first half of the book was interesting though, and through Rose, the reader learns what is what like to enter America through Ellis Island and try to live (particularly as an immigrant) in the bustling city of New York in the early 1900s.
It is evident that the author did her research on life in New York in 1911 and the fire itself through her descriptions of certain scenes throughout the story. An early traumatic scene in a sweatshop is described vividly and the whole part of the story dealing with the fire and it's aftermath is heart wrenchingly realistic.
I would recommend this book to those interested in this time period of American history, or Irish immigration to NYC. I chose this book since I couldn't find any adult historical fiction on the Shirtwaist Factory fire (a problem I also had when searching for a book on the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII, and found a good YA book for that). While it took more than half of the story for Rose to even start working at the factory (deplorable working conditions), I did still find the book worth the read and enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member LScrlovr20
This is one of my favorite books ever! It was well written, and always interesting. The plot was never expected, it kept me guessing. There is not a boring page in this book.
LibraryThing member edspicer
Roses made of paper will burn. Roses can be abandoned and left to wilt. Roses planted in foreign soil often have trouble growing, let alone blooming. This story of Rose Nolan combines the Irish immigration story with the historical details of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911.
Rose
Rose
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decides to stay in America when her brother and father return to Ireland after failing the Ellis Island physical. Eventually Rose finds employment in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, where she and the other girls are locked inside until their shift is done. When the fire starts Rose manages to escape but her roommate, Gussie, is not so fortunate. While this book sometimes feels like a history text instead of a novel, the immigration and factory details are compelling and make for easy, if not rosy, reading. Ashes of Roses is a great addition to social studies or history classes, one of the best historical fiction novels of 2002. Show Less
LibraryThing member lindsaymorr
this is one of my favorite books. if you like ADVENTURE and historical fiction then you will love this book. i give it *****
LibraryThing member dinomiteL12
I had to read this book for History, and I thought 'Oh, this is goind to be boring.' But instead I open the book and find an interesting story waiting in the pages. The telling of the crisis, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York is so creative, through a young Irish immigrant girl, and
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the tale of her working at the Factory. Show Less
LibraryThing member nolak
Very startling book of the history of the 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that killed 146 people through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old Irish immigrant, Margaret Rose Nolan, newly arrived in New York City. Ashes of Roses was a popular color at the time, and the color of her new dress.
LibraryThing member kb143317
The Nolan family travel from Ireland to America for a better life. But baby Joseph didn’t pass the eye exam, so Joseph and his father head back for their homeland. The Nolan women are to stay at their Uncle Patrick’s home until the rest of their family is to return back to America. Margaret,
The piece of history this book focuses on I found very interesting when my history class last semester discussed it and couldn’t wait to read this book. The story was very compelling and even made me cry towards the end.
Extension Ideas
1. Discuss how the immigration laws have changed over the course of the United States and why.
2. Discuss the Women’s Movement.
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the mother is very unhappy with how their life is so far in America compared to the life they had in Ireland and wishes to go home. Rose and Maureen, the two eldest of Margaret’s daughters, plead their mother to let them stay in America; their mother agrees. Rose and Maureen find a place to rent with a Jewish man and his daughter Gussie as their landlords. Gussie befriends the two Nolan sisters and helps them find a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. On March 25, 1911 a terrible fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. It brought 146 people to their death by either jumping out of the building’s windows or by burning to death because all of the buildings doors were locked. Rose and Maureen survived the fire, but Gussie and their others friends did not. It was after surviving that tragedy that Rose decided to fight for union rights and labor laws.The piece of history this book focuses on I found very interesting when my history class last semester discussed it and couldn’t wait to read this book. The story was very compelling and even made me cry towards the end.
Extension Ideas
1. Discuss how the immigration laws have changed over the course of the United States and why.
2. Discuss the Women’s Movement.
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LibraryThing member lwmasters
Ashes of Roses is a heartbreaking tale of the struggles many americans faced as they immigrated to America in the early 1900s. The story focuses on a family on Irish immigrants and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. A great book to read when studying about labor laws or immigration.
LibraryThing member ally.hughes87
Like many other immigrants, Rose and her family moved from Ireland to America with its streets paved in gold. When they got to America, part of her family was sent back to Ireland and Rose was left to fend for herself and her younger sister. She soon finds a home, good friends, and a job at the
There were so many details about life as an immigrant in the early 1900s that I felt as if I were there, experiencing it for myself. It was amazing how Rose’s will and strength only seemed to get stronger with each new obstacle. I hadn’t read the summary of the book, so I was surprised when the tragedy hit and almost cried at the sadness of it.
There are several topics in this book that could be incorporated into the classroom: immigration-the highs and lows of coming to America as an immigrant; child labor; factory work; the conditions immigrants lived and worked in; etc. As stated in the author’s note, this book is based on the information Auch gathered, so for older students, you could have them research a particular event and have them write their own historical fiction story. To get a better understanding of what the early 1900s were really like, after reading Ashes of Roses, you could have students find 5-10 pictures to use as illustrations for the book, they must add captions and state what page of the book the illustration would be used for.
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Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, but then tragedy strikes. There were so many details about life as an immigrant in the early 1900s that I felt as if I were there, experiencing it for myself. It was amazing how Rose’s will and strength only seemed to get stronger with each new obstacle. I hadn’t read the summary of the book, so I was surprised when the tragedy hit and almost cried at the sadness of it.
There are several topics in this book that could be incorporated into the classroom: immigration-the highs and lows of coming to America as an immigrant; child labor; factory work; the conditions immigrants lived and worked in; etc. As stated in the author’s note, this book is based on the information Auch gathered, so for older students, you could have them research a particular event and have them write their own historical fiction story. To get a better understanding of what the early 1900s were really like, after reading Ashes of Roses, you could have students find 5-10 pictures to use as illustrations for the book, they must add captions and state what page of the book the illustration would be used for.
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LibraryThing member TaylorLanman
Summary:
Rose Nolan and her family come to the United States from Ireland for new opportunities. However, when they arrive, their younger brother does not pass the eye exam, which in the end leaves Rose, 16, to fend for herself and her younger sister Maureen in NYC alone. At the age of 16, Rose gets
Personal Reaction:
This book really got me interested into reading Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction books. It encouraged me to remember that not all Non-fiction books have to be boring. I really enjoyed reading about past events and I loved how the author incorporated an emotional connection to the true events.
Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. I would have my students look up another past event and write their own non-fiction story.
2. I would have my students write about an event that changed their lives (i.e. moving, new sibling, etc).
Rose Nolan and her family come to the United States from Ireland for new opportunities. However, when they arrive, their younger brother does not pass the eye exam, which in the end leaves Rose, 16, to fend for herself and her younger sister Maureen in NYC alone. At the age of 16, Rose gets
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her first job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. One day, while working, tragedy strikes and the Triangle Factory catches on fire. With the doors locked, allowing no one to escape, women are forced to jump out of windows to their deaths or burn to death. Rose survived the tragedy, however 146 employees, including some of her best friends did not.Personal Reaction:
This book really got me interested into reading Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction books. It encouraged me to remember that not all Non-fiction books have to be boring. I really enjoyed reading about past events and I loved how the author incorporated an emotional connection to the true events.
Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. I would have my students look up another past event and write their own non-fiction story.
2. I would have my students write about an event that changed their lives (i.e. moving, new sibling, etc).
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LibraryThing member maryanntherese
This work of historical fiction is aimed at the middle grades. Follow Rose as she emigrates from Ireland and ends up working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. This novel portrays the struggles faced by immigrants in the early twentieth century.
LibraryThing member range7
Excellent book that details the events surrounding the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York, 1911. The story is told through the eyes of Rose, a newly arrived Irish teenager and her journey to find work to support herself and younger sister. The hardships of immigrants coming to America are
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a focus of the first third of the book which includes the ship voyage, the Ellis Island process, and the first impressions of being in America. The second part of the book deals with Roses search for a job, being seen as a greenhorn by other immigrants, and finding a way to survive in the big city. The last part of the book details the workers and conditions of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and the results of the tragic fire which claimed 146 lives. The book is well researched and is written in an easy to read language. The disaster is explained in detail without being too graphic, still some may find it hard to read if they are sensitive to such details. Would make a great book for a discussion group. Show Less
LibraryThing member countrylife
Ashes of Roses is the color of Rose's best dress, stitched by her own mother, before the family left Ireland to immigrate to America in 1911. Finally arrived at Ellis Island, baby Joseph is rejected because of an eye infection, and Da must take him back home to Limerick. They cannot all afford the
The girls find a room for rent with a Russian Jewish family. Gussie takes Rose under her wing and finds her a job where she works, at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. There Rose makes other new friends, two other Roses among them. The Roses take their lunches together, and with them, Maureen and Rose see their first moving picture at the nickelodeon. Waiting in line for the elevator, as she leaves work with her first pay, there are screams of 'fire'.
The horrors of the disaster at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on March 25, 1911, are handled well; not too gory for the young reader, yet with a solidly rendered impact of the catastrophe and the causes of it. The issue of unions is discussed via the character of Gussie, who is trying to better working conditions in these sweatshops. Homesickness, split families, immigration, the daily workings of the sewing trade, and of Ellis Island all figure in this story. The author lists some of her sources in her 'Author's Note', including online resources.
Even though this is a young adult book, having everything falling into place for the girls in finding a room, food, and jobs, didn't feel 'real', when history shows that much of the immigrant experience did not go so smoothly. All-in-all, though, I found this book to be a good introduction to the subject for the young reader.
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travel back, so Ma and the three girls make their way to the home of Da's brother. There they find a cold welcome from his wife and her daughters. When things come to a head, Uncle Patrick purchases tickets for the four of them to return to Ireland. At the pier, Rose, 16, asserts her young adult-hood and her mother finally bows to her oldest child's desire to become an American. Her headstrong second daughter, Maureen, 12, wins her way as well, and Ma, with her remaining child, a toddler, get on board. The girls find a room for rent with a Russian Jewish family. Gussie takes Rose under her wing and finds her a job where she works, at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. There Rose makes other new friends, two other Roses among them. The Roses take their lunches together, and with them, Maureen and Rose see their first moving picture at the nickelodeon. Waiting in line for the elevator, as she leaves work with her first pay, there are screams of 'fire'.
The horrors of the disaster at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on March 25, 1911, are handled well; not too gory for the young reader, yet with a solidly rendered impact of the catastrophe and the causes of it. The issue of unions is discussed via the character of Gussie, who is trying to better working conditions in these sweatshops. Homesickness, split families, immigration, the daily workings of the sewing trade, and of Ellis Island all figure in this story. The author lists some of her sources in her 'Author's Note', including online resources.
Even though this is a young adult book, having everything falling into place for the girls in finding a room, food, and jobs, didn't feel 'real', when history shows that much of the immigrant experience did not go so smoothly. All-in-all, though, I found this book to be a good introduction to the subject for the young reader.
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LibraryThing member ninetythree
Sad, enlightening, amazing. An Irish girls struggle to survive and thrive in America's Industrial Revolution. I read it more than once as a young teen.
LibraryThing member sharlamccall
Summary: 16 year old Rose and her family come from Ireland to make their fortune in America. Her father and baby brother are forced to return to Ireland, leaving her, her mother, and sisters in America. They struggle with staying with family that were not expecting them and are not very welcoming.
Personal Reaction: I thought this was a sad story. I can’t imagine the things people went through to come to this country. They had to endure hardships and make sacrifices that are hard to imagine today. I think this is a good story because it lets us know how hard life was for the immigrants.
Classroom Extension:
1. After reading this book, I would have my class research their ancestry. Hopefully we could discover when and where some of their families came from their homeland to America.
2. This would be a good story to read during a unit of History set in this time period. I would have students research why people wanted to come to America and what they had to do to get here and make a living here.
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When things blow up between them and their American family, her mother decides it’s time to return to Ireland. Rose and her 12 year old sister, Maureen, refuse to go and cash in their ticket to stay in America. Life is more difficult than they could ever imagine. Just as things finally start getting better, tragedy strikes. Rose is working as a seamstress at a factory when it catches on fire. She loses all her new friends and her job to the fire.Personal Reaction: I thought this was a sad story. I can’t imagine the things people went through to come to this country. They had to endure hardships and make sacrifices that are hard to imagine today. I think this is a good story because it lets us know how hard life was for the immigrants.
Classroom Extension:
1. After reading this book, I would have my class research their ancestry. Hopefully we could discover when and where some of their families came from their homeland to America.
2. This would be a good story to read during a unit of History set in this time period. I would have students research why people wanted to come to America and what they had to do to get here and make a living here.
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LibraryThing member Maureen_Lynn
One of my favorite books ever. Tells the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and how the women who lost their lives in that factory helped to create workplace safety laws in the 1900's. Some information is graphic during the fire scenes, so just use caution when sharing with students and leave
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room for discussion. Show Less
LibraryThing member CarmenMilligan
This was a little slower than the other books I have read this summer, but was a necessary pace to set up the story and introduce the reader properly to the characters. I felt both compassion and disdain for them, and by the end of the book, found it to be a satisfying read. A good young adult book.
LibraryThing member StonehamHS_Library
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Such is the story of 16-year old Rose Nolan’s life. In 1911, Rose and her parents, two younger sisters, and baby brother, journey from Ireland to America, expecting the streets to be paved with gold. After spending two weeks at sea, little Joseph is
Ashes of Roses is a heartbreaking story of life in the early nineteen hundreds for the thousands of European immigrants looking for better opportunities. “We should stay in America. I think we’ll be alright from now on. Because, as long as we live, we’ll never have another day as terrible as the twenty-fifth of March 1911.”(233) It is very realistic, and a majority of the book is spent telling about the daily life of a young girl who is trying to make her way in the bustling city of New York. Rose has her own American dream to fulfill, a dream that is not centered on simply marrying young and having many children, but to make her own decisions and have freedom. Mary Jane Auch begins the story with a slow start, a few minor twists and turns along the way, until the climax is suddenly thrust at you with amazing detail and feeling. While parts of the book are very interesting and compelling, others seem to drag on a bit. There is something to be said for its authenticity, but as it is telling the story of an ordinary life, it can be rather bland at times. Auch definitely portrays the struggles of young women immigrants of the early nineteen hundreds as she focuses of the ostracism of immigrants, the lack of worker’s rights, and the struggle to simply make enough money to survive in the harsh world that is New York City.
-R.P.
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turned away at medical inspection, and must return home with their father; leaving Rose, Ma, Maureen, and Bridget in America with only their belongings and a small amount of money. After leaving Ellis Island, they walk to their Uncle’s house, only to find that they had no idea of their arrival, and are instantly despised by Uncle Patrick’s wife and her two daughters. Scorned for working in a sweatshop to earn a bit of money, Rose finds that she’s struggling to bear with these people. When Ma finds American life to be far less than pleasing, she gets tickets to return to Ireland, only to have Rose and Maureen stubbornly stay behind. With little money and no place to stay, they hunt for a room to rent, eventually finding Mr. Garoff, who is looking for a tenant and agrees to let them stay for the night. Upon meeting his daughter Gussie, an activist, Rose and Maureen end up renting the room full time. Just when things are looking up, everything turns for the worse, in Mary Jane Auch’s historical fiction novel, Ashes of Roses.Ashes of Roses is a heartbreaking story of life in the early nineteen hundreds for the thousands of European immigrants looking for better opportunities. “We should stay in America. I think we’ll be alright from now on. Because, as long as we live, we’ll never have another day as terrible as the twenty-fifth of March 1911.”(233) It is very realistic, and a majority of the book is spent telling about the daily life of a young girl who is trying to make her way in the bustling city of New York. Rose has her own American dream to fulfill, a dream that is not centered on simply marrying young and having many children, but to make her own decisions and have freedom. Mary Jane Auch begins the story with a slow start, a few minor twists and turns along the way, until the climax is suddenly thrust at you with amazing detail and feeling. While parts of the book are very interesting and compelling, others seem to drag on a bit. There is something to be said for its authenticity, but as it is telling the story of an ordinary life, it can be rather bland at times. Auch definitely portrays the struggles of young women immigrants of the early nineteen hundreds as she focuses of the ostracism of immigrants, the lack of worker’s rights, and the struggle to simply make enough money to survive in the harsh world that is New York City.
-R.P.
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LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
If this were classified as a Young Reader book I would have given it four stars. It is classified as YA as a bookseller, I am leery about suggesting this to a teen. While it is a great story, I feel it is not "meaty" enough for a teen reader. That being said, this is such a tragic story and it's
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ramifications brought changes to the work force. It's a good story for girl power. Gussie fought for better working conditions no matter what the other girls were saying about her. Then after the tragedy, Rose followed in those footsteps. Rose and Maureen show such bravery and strength. A good empowerment story for young girls, but teens? Show Less
Pages
256