Uprising / Margaret Peterson Haddix / 346 pages

"Don't you know?  In America, money is God?"  A prostitute says this to Yetta while she is walking the picket line during the strike against the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.  Yetta and her sister Rahel have come to American from Russia and try to send money home to their family.  Bella, a young Italian girl, has just arrived in American and finds work in the factory after her cousin is kidnapped and she learns her entire family back in Italy has died.  Jane is a rich girl who rails against the injustice of being a woman.  The lives of these three girls intersect and are forever changed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory... and its horrific fire. This is a mesmerizing, heartrending story about the deplorable conditions of women at the turn of the century.  A strong current of hope, determination, and courage make this book a stand out.