Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Viking Books for Young Readers (2010), 400 pages
Description
After recovering from typhus, thirteen-year-old Raisa leaves her Polish shtetl for America to join her older sister, and goes to work at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory.
Awards
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2012)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2012)
Language
Lexile
840L
User reviews
LibraryThing member lawral
I think the best thing about Threads and Flames is that Friesner provides oodles of information and context without ever making me feel that I'm reading a book about the plight of immigrants or factory girls and how the injustices they faced lead to the tragedy of the Triangle fire. I was simply
While the book is undoubtedly about the Triangle fire, Raisa doesn't even start working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory until at least halfway through the book, maybe more. Usually, this delay of the "point" of the story would drive me batty, but in this instance, I didn't mind the wait. Raisa is such a fun character; she's so headstrong and determined to do what is right for her sisters, both Henda and Brina. It never occurs to her that she shouldn't take responsibility for Brina, even though she can barely take care of herself. I was rooting for her before she even got to Ellis Island. Raisa's little romance with Gavrel is also handled beautifully. When you're reading about Raisa who is on her own and working more than full time to make enough money to cover room and board for two people, it's easy to forget how young she is. Her relationship with Gavrel, however, with all of Raisa's do I or don't I feelings, constantly reminded me that she's just in her early teens. Their romance had all the little flutters of any middle grade romance, but with the added seriousness of two people, no matter how young, who work full time and both immediately start working even more when they "get serious." That's why they're both in the factory on the Saturday when it catches fire.
The fire itself is gruesome. The rush for the elevators after finding all the doors locked, the description of girls jumping from the windows rather than dying the flames, the display of unclaimed bodies that Raisa must search for Gavrel afterwards. The broken families who either found bodies to claim or were left with nothing. It's all so harsh. We see it all through Raisa who is still so determined to do what's right, who finds another job right away, and who becomes the strength and stability that Brina and Gavrel's family need in the fire's aftermath. Watching her continue on was possibly just as, if not more, heartbreaking as the fire itself. Slightly spoilery: When the ending was happier than I would have expected, it did not feel like a cop-out on Friesner's part. I was just happy Raisa got a little bit of what she deserved. End spoiler.
There was recently a request on the yalsa-bk list-serv for fiction books that teach the reader something. I wish I had finished reading this book in time to suggest it! Threads and Flames is so informative, but it's still great fiction too. I highly recommend it!
Book source: Philly Free Library
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reading an engaging story about Raisa's new life in America, complete with a little bit of mystery, a little bit of (the cutest without being the least bit saccharine) romance, and a whole lot of my-gumption-is-both-my-greatest-flaw-and-my-greatest-strength. And yet I finished the book knowing a lot about how the ill-treatment of immigrants in general and factory girls in particular created the perfect storm of awfulness that caused so many deaths in the fire.While the book is undoubtedly about the Triangle fire, Raisa doesn't even start working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory until at least halfway through the book, maybe more. Usually, this delay of the "point" of the story would drive me batty, but in this instance, I didn't mind the wait. Raisa is such a fun character; she's so headstrong and determined to do what is right for her sisters, both Henda and Brina. It never occurs to her that she shouldn't take responsibility for Brina, even though she can barely take care of herself. I was rooting for her before she even got to Ellis Island. Raisa's little romance with Gavrel is also handled beautifully. When you're reading about Raisa who is on her own and working more than full time to make enough money to cover room and board for two people, it's easy to forget how young she is. Her relationship with Gavrel, however, with all of Raisa's do I or don't I feelings, constantly reminded me that she's just in her early teens. Their romance had all the little flutters of any middle grade romance, but with the added seriousness of two people, no matter how young, who work full time and both immediately start working even more when they "get serious." That's why they're both in the factory on the Saturday when it catches fire.
The fire itself is gruesome. The rush for the elevators after finding all the doors locked, the description of girls jumping from the windows rather than dying the flames, the display of unclaimed bodies that Raisa must search for Gavrel afterwards. The broken families who either found bodies to claim or were left with nothing. It's all so harsh. We see it all through Raisa who is still so determined to do what's right, who finds another job right away, and who becomes the strength and stability that Brina and Gavrel's family need in the fire's aftermath. Watching her continue on was possibly just as, if not more, heartbreaking as the fire itself. Slightly spoilery: When the ending was happier than I would have expected, it did not feel like a cop-out on Friesner's part. I was just happy Raisa got a little bit of what she deserved. End spoiler.
There was recently a request on the yalsa-bk list-serv for fiction books that teach the reader something. I wish I had finished reading this book in time to suggest it! Threads and Flames is so informative, but it's still great fiction too. I highly recommend it!
Book source: Philly Free Library
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LibraryThing member lcaitday
Friesner was inspired by the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to write this fictional story about a girl who worked in the factory and escapes he fire. The book begins in a shtetl in Poland where Raisa is suffering from a debilitating fever. When she is well she must quickly travel to America
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where her sister was mistakenly sent a letter saying Raisa has died. We are taken through her tumultuous trip on the boat and through Ellis Island and frightening experience navigating a large city where she does not speak the language and is not even literate in her own Yiddish. Once she settles Friesner shows the terrible conditions of working in factories at the time and does not pull punches when describing the terrors of the actual fire. The book does not only show tragedies, but the triumphs of Raisa learning English and the family she settles with celebrating their Jewish heritage. The prose is well thought out and the characters are all easy to relate to. The author is clearly passionate about the topic, making the book perfect to give context to a history lesson though its graphic nature makes it best for those fifteen or older. Highly Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member kottenbrookk
This historical novel for young adults tells the important story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, but its telling is often overshadowed by clumsy writing and an ending that feels too good to be true. The story follows Raisa, who leaves her shtetl in Poland to come to America in search of
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her sister. Raisa struggles to get by in New York City, but she eventually finds work at the Triangle Factory, makes friends, and falls in love. When the factory catches fire with all of its employees locked inside, Raisa escapes. She loses a friend, and her fiance loses his mind, but everything is settled cleanly for the survivors at the end, including Raisa stumbling upon her sister and waking her fiance from his catatonic state in the same paragraph. Seeing the fire through Raisa’s eyes makes the reader sympathetic and elicits compassion for all the immigrants. Friesner tries to shoehorn too much explanation into dialogue and Raisa’s internal monologue, making it awkward and unrealistic. The ending feels too easy, after all the horror that preceded it. Except for Raisa, who feels flat, the characters are vibrant and familiar. This book will appeal to teenagers interested in social justice, and it could accompany classroom lessons on American history. While the novel’s important subjects make it interesting, the writing is awkward and often distracts from the story’s positive attributes. Recommended. Grade 8+. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nightwing
If you know about the Triangle Shirt Factory Fire, then you know its sad tale. This book presents a less oppressive, and yet even more emotional, look as it told through the eyes of one of the girls working there.
ISBN
0670012459 / 9780670012459