Brave Girl
Why this book?
I loved Brave Girl from the first line: “A steamship pulls into the harbor, carrying hundreds of immigrants—and a surprise for New York City.” The surprise is Clara Lemlich, who discovers that life in America is not all she imagined, and sets out to fight for change. Brave Girl doesn’t pull any punches about the harsh conditions in the sweatshops where Clara worked, or the very real risks of organizing strikes. (The police arrested her seventeen times, and broke six of her ribs.) Yet, somehow, the story remains upbeat and inspiring—and SO relevant today. Like the girls Clara worked with, readers may conclude, If she can do it, we can do it too.