10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb book., April 22, 2002
This review is from: Ashes of Roses (Hardcover)
The book was obtained for our daughter. However my wife and I ended up reading it before our daughter ever saw it. Not only reading it but fighting over whose turn it was to read.
Mrs. Auch recreates the trials of the immigrants who built our country. It is difficult to imagine what it would be like to move to another country and start all over. But this book gives some insight into the difficulties of finding work. The ease with which young immigrants were taken advantage of; in many ways. The importance of finding friends who could guide the newcomers. The reader feels they are a part of life at the turn of the century with all its tribulations and triumphs. Although directed at juvenile readers it is a great adult read and one that would make for good discussions with children or grand children.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible!, April 17, 2002
This review is from: Ashes of Roses (Hardcover)
Breathtaking in its intensity, the vivid details of time and place put you right in the scene--from the opening with 16-year-old Rose and the other hopeful Irish immigrants crowding the side of the boat for their first glimpse of New York, through the disappointments and triumphs of an exuberant young working-class girl in New York in 1911, to the horrific fire that claims the lives of so many. Rose Nolan is a likable narrator: determined, impatient, and sometimes cranky. Her adventures range from amusing (trying, more or less, to fit in with the family's German in-laws) to heartbreaking--all told in a memorable voice whose realness will shake you, particularly during the scenes of the fire and its aftermath.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ashes of Roses, April 21, 2002
This review is from: Ashes of Roses (Hardcover)
Ashes of Roses is a work of historical fiction that tells of Margaret Rose, a newly-arrived 16 year-old Irish immigrant who desperately desires and struggles to 'become American'. Rose's journey begins in 1911 with her arrival at Ellis Island. Her first job, working in a sweat shop making paper flowers, marks her first step towards self-reliance, but she soon encounters trouble. The owner takes advantage of her innocence and of her need for money, and late one evening physically assaults her. Rose escapes without her pay and only winter coat. The daughter of the Jewish man she rents a tenement room from, Gussie, is a union worker that gives Rose the courage to go back to the sweatshop the next day, get her coat, and demand her pay. Gussie is then able to get Rose a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, which pays better. Rose is able to worry a little less and enjoy her youth. She makes friends at the factory, sees a nickelodeon for the first time, and reads her first dime novel. But the real-life tragedy of the factory fire painfully jars her back to the harsh reality of the immigrant's life. (Of the 146 people that die in the fire, many of them are young girls who either jump to their deaths or are trapped in the burning building because of locked doors) Still, Rose finds within herself the strength to hope once again that she'd find America's streets paved with gold, and make a life for herself. "...I was a grown woman now, not somebody's little girl. The fire had changed me. Like a piece of iron in a blacksmith's forge, I had come out reshaped, stronger." Ashes of Roses tackles tough issues of the period like child labor, women's rights, worker's rights, discrimination, racial diversity, and class distinction. But never does one feel like she is reading a history book. Rather, the reader comes to care deeply for Rose, struggling along with her, and wanting desperately for her to succeed. The reader, and Rose, learn much along the way. This book stands alone as a compelling story, as does the author's other highly-praised works of historical fiction, i.e. her pioneer trilogy, Journey to Nowhere, Frozen Summer, and The Road to Home. Ashes of Roses is also a boon to history teachers wanting the past to come alive for their students. Furthermore, the author details the research that went into the making of Rose's story in the Author's Note, so teachers, librarians, and parents alike can feel secure in the knowledge that the people, places, events, and lifestyles portrayed in the novel are historically accurate. This book deserves a place on every library's shelf.
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