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.
more
Just okay.
This book was very realistic. The characters and events seemed really historic. I kept wondering if Daniel Cowan would ever get his bride, and the ending was very satisfying. Great portrayal of the fire at the factory and of the people working there.
A great glimpse into nazi Germany!
Enjoyed this book. Great historical read for a time in history that our nation was growing and coming to grips with the changing times.
Loved these characters
Based, I assume, on the garment workers struggle early in the 20th Century, the characters showed development in strength and sense of self. Strong family message. Just enough history to make it feel real and still entertaining enough to keep me turning those pages.
I just finished reading this book and I was very pleased with it. It’s a good story and tells how the earlier clothing businesses operated during the days before the unions helped the workers plight of long work hours, small pays, and unsafe working conditions. But it’s even more than that. It centers mainly on a young woman named Lena who came over as an immigrant to New York along with many others. It tells of her life and the lives of those close to her as she meets new people and makes friends. It also tells of the determination of herself and her close friend Daniel, to make a good life for themselves and become more than just mere everyday workers. It tells of the unfailing drive to make a career for themselves. Along the way she experiences love and makes a few mistakes of which she pays dearly, but in the end things have a way or working themselves out, and happiness prevails. I pretty much knew how the story would end but I enjoyed reading how the characters each had to contend with life events. If this review sounds boring it’s anything but that. There are both happy and sad times but it depicts how real life goes. I gave it five stars.
A page turner that wasn’t predictable.
This historical fiction takes the reader back to the 1800s and is laden with in-depth description; the reader feels like they are there. Each character is well-developed with each being totally different from one another. So much true history is embedded within the story-line. It’s an excellent read for historical-fiction fans. You won’t want to shut down this great page-turner on your device.
A fictional story of immigrants coming to America and the type of work they had to do and all they had to go through to make a life I this country.
I enjoyed it very much, it was inspiring to hear about the courage of the early immigrants and see how much they fought for workers’ rights and safety in the workplace.
This was an interesting story although I felt some of the situations weren’t easily believable – but it did keep me reading
I liked the historical time and view of life ad it was then.
When immigrant Lena Rothman finds herself working in a sweat shop and involved in labor strikes and women’s right, she is just beginning her journey in the US. She falls in love with her best friend’s boy friend and that starts a chain of events that impact the next generations. it’s a story of friendship, love, betrayal and redemption.
Excellent story of immigrants coming to NY in the late 1800’s-early 1900’s and creating lives and families out of nothing. Very well written and only slightly predictable.
Had a hard time getting into this story, didn’t finish.
Part 1 was a little slow, I liked the characters but it was a lot of set up. By part 2 I couldn’t put it down! A fun and easy read. Not life changing by any means, but I enjoyed it.
Nice story, if you are looking for pleasant, light reading.
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Although, I am sure not everyone was able to get jobs that quickly when they arrived off the boat, it gives an interesting look at the start of unions and working conditions in the garment industry. Good read.
Did not finish it – it was OK, but dragged on and on and on. Way too long for the story being told.