Lost Book

I've always been drawn to stories about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in NYC, March 26, 1911, that killed 141 people, mostly seamstress girls. I don't know why. Maybe a previous life?

Jacqueline Davies has written a historical fiction that interweaves this tragedy with another tragedy at the time for which I was unaware. On January 26, 1911 The New York Times reported on the disappearance of a Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold, the daughter of a wealthy family and niece of a former Supreme Court justice. Although the story was reported on this date, the family had mysteriously waited six weeks to report the disappearance to police. This story was mysterious from the beginning, and received a lot of press, none stating that Miss Arnold had been located until April, 1921, when the then head of The Bureau of Missing Persons in NYC reported that the police had solved the case!

The main character of the story works at Triangle but the storyline does not concentrate on her job. Instead readers are lead through the tragedy of her family using flashbacks. It is difficult in the beginning to follow the story; however, once you get the rhythm, you can't wait for the next flashback. With a "surprise" ending, I'm certain that the author meant for the tension to rise, but I figured out the "surprise" rather early.

In spite of this, I truly enjoyed the book that depicts the life of immigrants in NYC in the early 20th century and gives you an excellent "feel" of NYC at the time. The author expertly presents a plausible interaction between a fictional character and a real one. She also does an awesome job pointing out the contrasts between the disparate lives of a young immigrant woman with a woman from a rich and well-connected family that is timeless.

Although this book is considered Young Adult fiction, just like almost all YA Fiction it is an excellent read for all ages, especially those with an intense interest in history.

I give this 4 Stars.