Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a fictionalized account of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, The story has three main characters Bella, Yetta and Jane and through their eyes we are able to explore the general strike that occurred the previous year to the fire, what the workers were fighting for and why they weren’t granted their demands. The story also touches on class privilege, immigration, feminism and still manages to be compelling and interesting.

Two of the main characters, Bella and Yetta were employed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory while the third, Jane, was a runaway daughter of a wealthy businessman. She lived with Bella and Yetta and worked as the governess to the two daughters of one of the owners of the factory. On the day of the fire, March 25, 1911, Bella and Yetta are at work and Jane has brought her charges to visit their father at work. The fire begins on the 8th floor where Yetta works and quickly spreads to the 9th and 10th floors where Bella and Jane are. From the beginning of the book, you are informed that only one of three friends will survive.

One of the worst workplace disasters in history, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed the lives of 146 workers. Although there was no safety plans, the fire escape collapsed, and exit stairways were locked, the owners were granted a “no-fault” insurance claim of more than sixty thousand dollars which enabled them to reopen their factory and once again exploit young immigrant girls. Recognized unions and workplace reforms took another decade to be put in place. I found Uprising to be a very good read. The author was able to describe the horrific conditions of the workplace as well as giving the reader a clear picture of how the immigrant workforce lived in the early 20th century. ( )

This was incredibly dull on second read. Vivid passages I looked forward to were bland. most of this was the friendship between the three girls and their class differences. The disaster came at the end and should have broken my heart, but I was only sad. I'm glad I got to read it again, though.. ( )

Haddix is one of my favorite authors and I love almost every book she’s written. This book is a great way to learn about history without feeling like you’re reading about history. ( )

#unreadshelfproject2019 ( )

"Uprising" paints a vivid picture of life in New York City in the early 1900s. Three Jewish immigrants and one socialite are the main characters. Page by page their daily lives are described and used as prologue to the issues of union organizing and striking, and the deplorable working conditions in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911.

Young readers can gain some insight into the reasons for labor unions and how striking workers can sometimes improve factory working conditions. Issues of women's suffrage are also presented in an anecdotal manner and describe the plight of young women who have no voice and are often deprived of a college education because they are female. The book ends with a twist and is generally able to capture the reader's interest. - Jane M. ( )