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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Loved this book, highly recommend.
Very well written and good story line. I like the ending.
It was a great book. Every character had an interesting life. Was so interested in each persons life.
Enjoyed the history involved. The patient heart that waited for true love.
Story taking place in the early 1900’s and covers 50 years. The main characters are Daniel, Lena, Joe, Sophie that immigrate to America hoping for a better life. It shows their struggles and early unionized in America along with women suffrage.
A great read and one of the best historical novels I’ve read in a long time.
I love that it spans time, captures event that change characters over time and celebrates women.
The story follows young eastern European immigrants over the decades as they pursue their American dreams, starting with their arrivals early in the 20th century when they befriend each other in New York City, and then as they move apart but find each other again in the 1950’s. There are emotional entanglements among them that shift through the years. The novel was sweet, like the kind that were typically written in the 40”s and 50’s. A nice change from murder mysteries and the evils found in war novels.
Great read!
Wonderful story telling and well developed characters.
very good historical fiction…what it was like being a newly arrived immigrant to the States, hard labor with little pay, women’s rights just getting started, unions beginnings, etc. The book follows mainly one woman but also tells a good tale of of 2 men and another woman…loyalty is behind so much of this
Slightly predictable, but character development was good. Could have been a little more descriptive of the life and surroundings of the historical era, but an enjoyable read, despite the glaring typos.
From the first page this book captured my attention. The historical detail was spot on, and the characters were memorable; each with their own personality that brought the reader in. I enjoyed this book very much.
This was a fabulous read. It was captivating from beginning to end. There were plenty of twists in the lives of these 3D characters to keep you glued to it until the end. You will love it if historical fiction is a joy for you.
Interesting history of working conditions for immigrants to New York, and of the Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Decent writing; some editing problems.
I loved this book. Great book club read.
I enjoy period books. Although sometimes the heroine’s decisions frustrated me, I enjoyed the ending.
Informative and Exciting. A story weaving around historical events of immigrants first arrival to Ellis Island and there struggles to survive. I was ignorant of the poor work conditions and child labor of the New York garment factories towering stories high that employed these immigrants, ultimately leading to the death of some through mismanagement and devastating fires. A story of survival and true love.
Intertwining history with a romantic fictional situation, The Garment Maker’s Daughter is a great summer beach read. The characters are believable, the history is well documented, and the “romance” is innocently charming.
Historical information on the workings of the early immigrant working laws were brought to life and woven through a great story with wonderful characters over 30+ years. I didn’t know anything about the tragic fire and the unions at the root of it all.
Wonderful story. One of the best I’ve read in a long time