The Garment Maker’s Daughter is a multigenerational saga of immigrant dreams and sweatshop realities, labor strikes and women’s rights. It is the story of Lena Rothman, a shirtwaist-maker and active suffragette whose plans get derailed when she falls in love with her best friend’s boyfriend; Jake Brenner, a passionate labor organizer determined to lead the shirtwaist-makers on a high-stakes … strike; and Daniel Cowan, a brilliant and ambitious night-school student hobbled by a shameful past.
Fate draws them together. Emotions bind them to each other. But secrets will tear them apart. When a devastating blaze engulfs the shirtwaist factory, Lena must fight for her life. And in the chaos of the fire’s aftermath, mistakes will be made with consequences that continue into the next generation.
Spanning the first half of the twentieth century, this is a story about unforgettable characters and the threads of friendship, love, betrayal, and redemption that form the fabric of their lives. FAns of Adriana Trigiani, Kristin Hannah, and Christine Baker Kline, will love The Garment Maker’s Daughter. It’s that rare novel you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished it.
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I enjoyed reading this very much
UNINTERESTING START
A good read. I liked learning about this time in history.
It brought you through time with 4 lives intertwined and wove a realistic look at the times and lives. Surprising twist to lives. I enjoyed this book very much.
Loved it.
An engrossing look at America in early 20th century
Liked it a lot
I absolutely loved this book. I can see others in a series. Matter-of-fact when I finished it I immediately went tho see what the second book in the series was and was surprised to learn this was Stern’s first published book and there’s not a second one in the series – yet. At least that’s my hope. I would love to see the next installment – a little more about Lena and Daniel, Rachel and Jake, and how it all works out for them. Wonderful characters and I just hated it when this book ended. I know father and daughter will have a good relationship, but I would love to see how the families all make it work out. I do want Daniel and Lena to stay together. And I also want Jake to find happiness whether that be with getting tho know his daughter and enjoying her family or meeting another woman we haven’t met yet…I’m sure Stern has a story in there somewhere .