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Audacity
The inspiring story of Clara Lemlich, whose fight for equal rights led to the largest strike by women in American history
A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power, Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. Bucking the norms of both her traditional Jewish family and societal conventions, Clara refuses to accept substandard working conditions in the factories on Manhattan's Lower East Side. For years, Clara devotes herself to the labor fight, speaking up for those who suffer in silence. In time, Clara convinces the women in the factories to strike, organize, and unionize, culminating in the famous Uprising of the 20,000.
Powerful, breathtaking, and inspiring, Audacity is the story of a remarkable young woman, whose passion and selfless devotion to her cause changed the world.
A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power, Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. Bucking the norms of both her traditional Jewish family and societal conventions, Clara refuses to accept substandard working conditions in the factories on Manhattan's Lower East Side. For years, Clara devotes herself to the labor fight, speaking up for those who suffer in silence. In time, Clara convinces the women in the factories to strike, organize, and unionize, culminating in the famous Uprising of the 20,000.
Powerful, breathtaking, and inspiring, Audacity is the story of a remarkable young woman, whose passion and selfless devotion to her cause changed the world.
389 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2015
128 people are currently reading
5073 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Crowder
10 books170 followersMelanie Crowder graduated in 2011 with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of JUMPER, MAZIE, THREE PENNIES, AN UNINTERRUPTED VIEW OF THE SKY, A NEARER MOON, AUDACITY, PARCHED, and THE LIGHTHOUSE BETWEEN THE WORLDS and A WAY BETWEEN WORLDS.
A West Coast girl at heart, Melanie now lives and writes in the beautiful state of Colorado.
A West Coast girl at heart, Melanie now lives and writes in the beautiful state of Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 617 reviews
February 9, 2021
2018 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.
Wrote in verse; this is a very quick and excellent read on being an immigrant woman in 1900’s America, fighting for women equality and workers rights. It’s a powerful story and one I’d definitely recommend picking up.
Wrote in verse; this is a very quick and excellent read on being an immigrant woman in 1900’s America, fighting for women equality and workers rights. It’s a powerful story and one I’d definitely recommend picking up.
January 1, 2016
I don't know why the author chose to do this as a novel in verse - it distracted me from the plot (which focuses on an important part of history that girls should know about) and caused a DNF. I ran this ARC past a few students and they were, like me, interested in the topic but the verse? It felt like a gimmick not a necessary device.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
December 13, 2014
A riveting and illuminating story of incredible courage, endurance, persistence and fighting for a better tomorrow - not only for yourself, but for everyone.
This is a powerful novel written in verse. It's beautifully told and extremely compelling, but also vividly brutal and oftentimes completely heart breaking. The verse form gives this heavy and at times depressing tale surprising lightness. However, while supremely readable and - thanks to its form - quick to devour, it's also very substantial and loaded with feelings, reflections and meaning.
This book taught me a lot and opened up my eyes to a world full of social injustice, hurt, pain, hunger and abuse. I knew, of course, about the horrific working conditions of the immigrants at the beginning of 19th century. I have read about the sweatshops and child workers and mercilessly shattered dreams of those who came to America hoping for a fair shot at a better life for their families and themselves. Sure, I was aware of that. But reading about this in history books and then experiencing it almost first-hand through the eyes of one of the most courageous, most remarkable, and most inspiring women in all history, well, it's two different things.
I was.. I want to say stunned, speechless and moved to tears, but these words seem too weak to describe how this book made me feel. I have read this novel through tears. I couldn't help it, it spoke to me at so many different levels. I felt so sad for Clara. I cried for Isabelle and Ricco. I was enraged at Clara's father and brothers, frustrated by their ignorance, cruelty and laziness so easily excused by tradition and religion. I wanted to slap some sense into the majority of men depicted in this story. All of them so entitled, so infuriating, so much more important than women and children. At the same time, I couldn't help but respect and admire Clara's unbreakable will, dedication, determination and strength. This girl stood alone against the whole world and she won. She didn't break and she didn't bend, she did the bending, the carving and the molding. Every time the world forced her to her knees and beat her down with fists and words, she picked herself up and fought on. Her fierceness and courage inspired others and, ultimately, changed the world. She was a truly incredible person and she deserves to be remembered.
Melanie Crowder's novel is an achingly beautiful and unforgettable tale about one girl who had the audacity to stand up for herself and demand equal rights. A girl who dared to dream, who didn't let the world stomp her into the ground. I can't tell you how much I loved this book, but I really hope you'll make space on your shelves and reading lists for it - you won't regret.
This is a powerful novel written in verse. It's beautifully told and extremely compelling, but also vividly brutal and oftentimes completely heart breaking. The verse form gives this heavy and at times depressing tale surprising lightness. However, while supremely readable and - thanks to its form - quick to devour, it's also very substantial and loaded with feelings, reflections and meaning.
This book taught me a lot and opened up my eyes to a world full of social injustice, hurt, pain, hunger and abuse. I knew, of course, about the horrific working conditions of the immigrants at the beginning of 19th century. I have read about the sweatshops and child workers and mercilessly shattered dreams of those who came to America hoping for a fair shot at a better life for their families and themselves. Sure, I was aware of that. But reading about this in history books and then experiencing it almost first-hand through the eyes of one of the most courageous, most remarkable, and most inspiring women in all history, well, it's two different things.
I was.. I want to say stunned, speechless and moved to tears, but these words seem too weak to describe how this book made me feel. I have read this novel through tears. I couldn't help it, it spoke to me at so many different levels. I felt so sad for Clara. I cried for Isabelle and Ricco. I was enraged at Clara's father and brothers, frustrated by their ignorance, cruelty and laziness so easily excused by tradition and religion. I wanted to slap some sense into the majority of men depicted in this story. All of them so entitled, so infuriating, so much more important than women and children. At the same time, I couldn't help but respect and admire Clara's unbreakable will, dedication, determination and strength. This girl stood alone against the whole world and she won. She didn't break and she didn't bend, she did the bending, the carving and the molding. Every time the world forced her to her knees and beat her down with fists and words, she picked herself up and fought on. Her fierceness and courage inspired others and, ultimately, changed the world. She was a truly incredible person and she deserves to be remembered.
Melanie Crowder's novel is an achingly beautiful and unforgettable tale about one girl who had the audacity to stand up for herself and demand equal rights. A girl who dared to dream, who didn't let the world stomp her into the ground. I can't tell you how much I loved this book, but I really hope you'll make space on your shelves and reading lists for it - you won't regret.
April 13, 2015
Living with her mother, father and three brothers in a shtetl in Russia, young Clara Lemlich's great desire is to go to school and get an education. But in her strict Orthodox Jewish family, education is limited to her brothers, who will follow in the footsteps of their father, praying and studying the Torah. But Clara has learned to read Russian against her father's wishes, and even after he destroys her few hard won books, she doesn't give up.
After the pogrom of 1903 against the Jews in nearby shtetls, the Lemlichs decide to emigrate to the United States. It is a long, harrowing trip, but eventually they arrive in New York City and make their way to a small dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. Day after day, her mother goes out looking for work, while her husband and sons spend their times praying and studying. Finally, her father decides that Clara shall be the one who goes out to work.
Finding a job in a sweatshop making shirtwaists at $6.00 a week, she brings home the family's only income. The work is harsh, under grueling circumstances, with row upon row of women and children sewing in a locked room, only allowed to go to the restroom twice a day despite the long hours. And at the end of the day, the girls and women are inappropriately patted down to make sure they haven't stolen anything. But Clara also discovers public libraries and the free school, and her hope of going to school revived.
After getting fired from her first job, her second job pays less and the workdays are longer. More harsh conditions and more abuse from the sweatshop owners, foreman. Once day, Clara hears the word union and, after learning what it means, decides the women she works with in the garment industry also need a union to represent them, just as the men, who are treated differently, have.
Little does Clara realize what forming a union will involve. Her dream to go to school and become a doctor is given up in her fight for better working conditions for the women in the garment industry. To that end, she is spit on, locked out of jobs that she needs, she's beaten repeatedly by thugs and by the police, she's jailed and hospitalized, but she never stops, never gives up. To say that Clara was a young woman who had a definite streak of defiance and a very strong sense of what is right and what is wrong, is to say the least about her. And she succeeds!
Audacity is a imagine fictional portrayal of the early life of Clara Lemlich. Written in beautiful free verse, it is the story of a small, but fearless, and yes, audacious fighter. Told from Clara's point of view in the first person, the reader is privy to her hopes, dreams, thoughts, fears, especially telling is her anger at her father for denying her an education, for not working when the family is so destitute.
Free verse novels can look deceptively simple, and they are wonderful enticements for reluctant readers, but make no mistake, the content is not so much complicated as it is far more thought provoking than you might at first think it is.
One of my favorite books from 2013 is Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 (which happens to be the end point of Audacity), a picture book for older readers, and as I read Audacity, I had flashes of the illustration from this book. So although Audacity is a book meant for teens, it could be nicely paired with Brave Girl.
Melanie Crowder has written a spellbinding story, full of historical and cultural references that make it an eminently readable full-bodied novel and a source of inspiration.
This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book is a ARC received from the publisher, Philomel Books
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
After the pogrom of 1903 against the Jews in nearby shtetls, the Lemlichs decide to emigrate to the United States. It is a long, harrowing trip, but eventually they arrive in New York City and make their way to a small dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. Day after day, her mother goes out looking for work, while her husband and sons spend their times praying and studying. Finally, her father decides that Clara shall be the one who goes out to work.
Finding a job in a sweatshop making shirtwaists at $6.00 a week, she brings home the family's only income. The work is harsh, under grueling circumstances, with row upon row of women and children sewing in a locked room, only allowed to go to the restroom twice a day despite the long hours. And at the end of the day, the girls and women are inappropriately patted down to make sure they haven't stolen anything. But Clara also discovers public libraries and the free school, and her hope of going to school revived.
After getting fired from her first job, her second job pays less and the workdays are longer. More harsh conditions and more abuse from the sweatshop owners, foreman. Once day, Clara hears the word union and, after learning what it means, decides the women she works with in the garment industry also need a union to represent them, just as the men, who are treated differently, have.
Little does Clara realize what forming a union will involve. Her dream to go to school and become a doctor is given up in her fight for better working conditions for the women in the garment industry. To that end, she is spit on, locked out of jobs that she needs, she's beaten repeatedly by thugs and by the police, she's jailed and hospitalized, but she never stops, never gives up. To say that Clara was a young woman who had a definite streak of defiance and a very strong sense of what is right and what is wrong, is to say the least about her. And she succeeds!
Audacity is a imagine fictional portrayal of the early life of Clara Lemlich. Written in beautiful free verse, it is the story of a small, but fearless, and yes, audacious fighter. Told from Clara's point of view in the first person, the reader is privy to her hopes, dreams, thoughts, fears, especially telling is her anger at her father for denying her an education, for not working when the family is so destitute.
Free verse novels can look deceptively simple, and they are wonderful enticements for reluctant readers, but make no mistake, the content is not so much complicated as it is far more thought provoking than you might at first think it is.
One of my favorite books from 2013 is Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 (which happens to be the end point of Audacity), a picture book for older readers, and as I read Audacity, I had flashes of the illustration from this book. So although Audacity is a book meant for teens, it could be nicely paired with Brave Girl.
Melanie Crowder has written a spellbinding story, full of historical and cultural references that make it an eminently readable full-bodied novel and a source of inspiration.
This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book is a ARC received from the publisher, Philomel Books
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
March 5, 2018
”Have we not been told
all our lives
that a good girl
is obedient
biddable
meek?
I have never been
obedient
or
biddable
or
meek.”
All she may have had was audacity, but Clara Lemlich’s courage, determination and indomitable spirit are just as relevant today as they were back when she was making her mark on the world. With beautiful passages that had me moved to tears, Crowder deftly tackles the life of this remarkable young woman that history has seemed to forgotten.
all our lives
that a good girl
is obedient
biddable
meek?
I have never been
obedient
or
biddable
or
meek.”
All she may have had was audacity, but Clara Lemlich’s courage, determination and indomitable spirit are just as relevant today as they were back when she was making her mark on the world. With beautiful passages that had me moved to tears, Crowder deftly tackles the life of this remarkable young woman that history has seemed to forgotten.
Read
December 26, 2014This is an outstanding historical novel-in-verse about union rights at the turn of the 20th century. More, it's about the role of women in the labor rights movement, with a keen eye toward factory work (think Triangle Shirtwaist Factory). Clara is a daring, badass girl who disobeys her family's wishes in order to better the lives of those around her, as well as to better her own education and English skills. More, Clara is able to fall in love, even while pursuing every single thing she's passionate about, and it's not her boyfriend-turned-husband who gives her the will to do so. She's strong and passionate and out there of her own volition.
More to come but this book is awesomely feminist and compelling.
More to come but this book is awesomely feminist and compelling.
January 14, 2018
Read this book! Linger in the thoughtful words and let your mind wander over this amazing story. Clara was a pioneer for social justice who had massive influence on the NY sweatshops. Teachers, get this book in your student’s hands!
August 19, 2019
"Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights."
Simple, beautiful, heartbreaking verse about a woman and her fight to balance caring for her family, obtaining an education, and organizing a union and strikes to help all of the women in the garment industry who deserved far better work conditions.
I hate to say that before I checked this book out I didn't know who Clara Lemlich was. But after reading this and a little research, I'll never forget her.
"I am a little more
than five feet tall
but my will
is like leaping flames
vaulting skyward
immune to all
that would
smother me."
"I guarantee,
they will grow tired of me
before I ever stop saying
what I have come to say."
Simple, beautiful, heartbreaking verse about a woman and her fight to balance caring for her family, obtaining an education, and organizing a union and strikes to help all of the women in the garment industry who deserved far better work conditions.
I hate to say that before I checked this book out I didn't know who Clara Lemlich was. But after reading this and a little research, I'll never forget her.
"I am a little more
than five feet tall
but my will
is like leaping flames
vaulting skyward
immune to all
that would
smother me."
"I guarantee,
they will grow tired of me
before I ever stop saying
what I have come to say."
February 14, 2019
I had never heard of Clara Lemlich before and it was interesting to read about her in free verse style.
Popsugar 2019 Challenge - A novel based on a true story
Popsugar 2019 Challenge - A novel based on a true story
Read
January 6, 2015This historical novel-in-verse, based on the life of Clara Lemlich, is a brilliantly feminist exploration of the labor rights movement at the turn of the 20th century. After having to flee their home country of Russia because of anti-Jewish sentiment, Clara’s family immigrates to New York City, where she’s forced to take up a job to help support the family. Clara, who craves an education and wants to learn English to better herself, begins taking classes after work to carve out something for herself in her new world. That education leads her to better understand the massive corruption and inequities in her life, as well as the lives around her, in factory work. She becomes an active part of the union movement, rallying for worker rights, even though it gets her in major trouble and causes a rift in her family. The use of verse in this book is noteworthy and aids in the storytelling, rather than distracts from it. One of the smaller plot elements of the novel, though, might be my favorite: Clara has a serious boyfriend throughout her life, and he’s there as a support to her work, but he never gets in the way of it. The acknowledgement that a hard-working, passionate activist can still have a romantic life that is separate from that was nice to see. I think 2015 is going to be a tipping point for feminist YA fiction, and Crowder’s book is an outstanding start to that. — Kelly Jensen
From: Best Books We Read in December: http://bookriot.com/2015/01/06/riot-r...
From: Best Books We Read in December: http://bookriot.com/2015/01/06/riot-r...
October 13, 2023
Clara Lemlich and her family is displaced in their home country of Ukraine because of their Jewish heritage. The family flees and arrives in New York in early 1900's.
Upon arrival, Clara's father adheres to the social norms of their home country and continues to study the Torah with his sons while Clara is told to get a job. She finds a job in the garment district, but quickly realizes the conditions are deplorable.
Clara doesn't choose her battle, it chooses her. She makes it her mission to join a union and to lead a strike that will require less hours, fair wages, access to a bathroom when needed and a clock that is present so that the boss can't fudge the time.
I love Clara's tenacity and her willingness to stick to her convictions and stand up for what is right. She can't help it! When her father told her the family will not speak Russian, Clara found a way to learn on her own. When she arrived in America, she knew she had to learn English. She did so after a long and dreary day at work.
She's a warrior and she continued to fight for the underdog until her death at 96. I like the notes at the end and I love that this is in verse.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe...
Upon arrival, Clara's father adheres to the social norms of their home country and continues to study the Torah with his sons while Clara is told to get a job. She finds a job in the garment district, but quickly realizes the conditions are deplorable.
Clara doesn't choose her battle, it chooses her. She makes it her mission to join a union and to lead a strike that will require less hours, fair wages, access to a bathroom when needed and a clock that is present so that the boss can't fudge the time.
I love Clara's tenacity and her willingness to stick to her convictions and stand up for what is right. She can't help it! When her father told her the family will not speak Russian, Clara found a way to learn on her own. When she arrived in America, she knew she had to learn English. She did so after a long and dreary day at work.
She's a warrior and she continued to fight for the underdog until her death at 96. I like the notes at the end and I love that this is in verse.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe...
November 26, 2015
Sometimes I struggle with novels in verse, but this was elegantly done, and I found it not distracting at all. It seemed to allow for a lighter touch on some very tough issues - religion, immigration, family dynamics, women's issues, labor issues - that otherwise could have become too heavy and cumbersome.
I cannot say how much I LOVE that the author included an afterward as well as an interview with existing family members. What a wonderful tribute to the person of Clara Lemlich to so clearly outline her life and legacy.
This reminds me of Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson - the struggle of poverty, the fight for justice. I can imagine it appealing to a similar audience: teens looking for stories about social justice and youth empowerment. Historical fiction fans.
Favorite quote (from the afterward): "Clara... leaves us with a story well worth remembering, and with a challenge: to see the suffering of others as part of ourselves, and to do something about it." I find this exceptionally relevant this week: debate about Syrian refugees combined with Thanksgiving - to see the suffering of others as part of ourselves, and do something about it.
I cannot say how much I LOVE that the author included an afterward as well as an interview with existing family members. What a wonderful tribute to the person of Clara Lemlich to so clearly outline her life and legacy.
This reminds me of Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson - the struggle of poverty, the fight for justice. I can imagine it appealing to a similar audience: teens looking for stories about social justice and youth empowerment. Historical fiction fans.
Favorite quote (from the afterward): "Clara... leaves us with a story well worth remembering, and with a challenge: to see the suffering of others as part of ourselves, and to do something about it." I find this exceptionally relevant this week: debate about Syrian refugees combined with Thanksgiving - to see the suffering of others as part of ourselves, and do something about it.
January 21, 2018
Oh. My.
June 3, 2020
It was good but it didn't live quite up to my expectations. The book I just read before this, Is It Night Or Day, also dealt with migrating to America, and Audacity was done slightly worse but noticeably so. Though it dealt with heavier topics, it didn't really do it for me.
May 13, 2021
This book surprised me - I don't always enjoy books written in verse. I find that it can take away from the story and leave me wishing for more. But this story was so well written, I almost forgot it was written in verse.
I have been fascinated with Clara Lemlich since I read about her in Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and its Legacy. I think this book does her justice. Clara was such an amazingly strong woman to be able to stand up not just to her family, but to society and demand better for people everywhere. The writing in this novel was beautiful and I found myself highlighting (I read this on my kindle) so many lines that resonated with me. I also loved the interview at the end of the book with Clara's grandchildren. It helped cement her as a real person, rather than just a character in the story.
I have been fascinated with Clara Lemlich since I read about her in Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and its Legacy. I think this book does her justice. Clara was such an amazingly strong woman to be able to stand up not just to her family, but to society and demand better for people everywhere. The writing in this novel was beautiful and I found myself highlighting (I read this on my kindle) so many lines that resonated with me. I also loved the interview at the end of the book with Clara's grandchildren. It helped cement her as a real person, rather than just a character in the story.
March 24, 2022
YES. Clara is amazing. Wonderful novel-in-verse about an amazing woman. Fellow VCFA grad.
January 3, 2021
It was a short and nice read about the horrors that were factories. The writing was quite poetic and I actually liked that it was in verse. However, I found it lacking in too many areas to truly impact me.
March 7, 2015
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I may never have known Audacity by Melanie Crowder existed if it weren't for Book Riot's post on feminist YA books of 2015. Thank you, Kelly Jensen, for writing that article. I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else, and that is a shame. This is a brilliant and moving book. And I may need to officially revise my stance on verse novels.
Audacity is the story of Clara Lemlich. It begins when she is a teenager living in her shtetl in Russia. After a series of harsh pogroms agains the Jews, Clara and her family immigrate to America. The book chronicles their stay in a poor house in London, the steerage passage to the US, and their entrance through Ellis. Then it changes pace as Clara gets a job in a sweat shop and begins her fight for unions and justice in the garment industry. Told in beautiful first person perspective verse, Audacity is the story of a girl who had a fire burning inside her too bright for anyone to put out, and how she used it to warm and change the world.
Clara Lemlich was a real person, but this book is historical fiction as it takes some liberties with the story here and there. Nothing is changed to take from the historical authenticity of the novel, there are just some thoughts and interactions Clara is involved in that would not be documented. There is a fascinating interview with her daughter and several of her grandchildren at the end that is also worth reading.
Clara was born into a family where the men studied the Torah and the women did the work. She was not allowed to go to school, not allowed to speak Russian, not allowed to learn to read or write. She defied her parents and secretly learned to do all of these things. She was constantly told good girls are obedient. Good girls do what they're told. But Clara made her own rules and fought for the herself and the girl she sat beside in the sweatshops day by day. Despite being beaten, jailed, and harassed, she never gave up. Audacity wonderfully captures her struggle and spirit.
Some excerpts that show the beauty and scope of the story:
How can I ever be more
than just someone's daughter
wife
mother
if I cannot study
if I cannot learn
if I am not permitted to have
even one book?
The mother of the exiles
holds her torch aloft
greeting us in the water
The clouds break apart
and for a moment
pure
clean
rays of sunshine
reach through the heavens
to dance across my cheeks
One by one
the foreman
pats the workers down
roving over curves and creases
searching for scraps of fabric or thread or dignity
that might find their way out
of the shop
I know
he thinks
to break this thing in me
that insists
I think
for myself
Just think
Pauline says,
if thousands of tiny lights
can outshine the moon,
is there anything
thousands of us
cannot do?
Audacity is full ideas: feminism, idealism, the power of knowledge, fighting for what is right, and never giving up no matter how hard it gets. Clara's story is inspiring in thousands of different ways, and this should be included on shelves everywhere.
The book is considered YA, but strong MG readers can handle it as well. I can't wait to share it with my own daughter.
I may never have known Audacity by Melanie Crowder existed if it weren't for Book Riot's post on feminist YA books of 2015. Thank you, Kelly Jensen, for writing that article. I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else, and that is a shame. This is a brilliant and moving book. And I may need to officially revise my stance on verse novels.
Audacity is the story of Clara Lemlich. It begins when she is a teenager living in her shtetl in Russia. After a series of harsh pogroms agains the Jews, Clara and her family immigrate to America. The book chronicles their stay in a poor house in London, the steerage passage to the US, and their entrance through Ellis. Then it changes pace as Clara gets a job in a sweat shop and begins her fight for unions and justice in the garment industry. Told in beautiful first person perspective verse, Audacity is the story of a girl who had a fire burning inside her too bright for anyone to put out, and how she used it to warm and change the world.
Clara Lemlich was a real person, but this book is historical fiction as it takes some liberties with the story here and there. Nothing is changed to take from the historical authenticity of the novel, there are just some thoughts and interactions Clara is involved in that would not be documented. There is a fascinating interview with her daughter and several of her grandchildren at the end that is also worth reading.
Clara was born into a family where the men studied the Torah and the women did the work. She was not allowed to go to school, not allowed to speak Russian, not allowed to learn to read or write. She defied her parents and secretly learned to do all of these things. She was constantly told good girls are obedient. Good girls do what they're told. But Clara made her own rules and fought for the herself and the girl she sat beside in the sweatshops day by day. Despite being beaten, jailed, and harassed, she never gave up. Audacity wonderfully captures her struggle and spirit.
Some excerpts that show the beauty and scope of the story:
How can I ever be more
than just someone's daughter
wife
mother
if I cannot study
if I cannot learn
if I am not permitted to have
even one book?
The mother of the exiles
holds her torch aloft
greeting us in the water
The clouds break apart
and for a moment
pure
clean
rays of sunshine
reach through the heavens
to dance across my cheeks
One by one
the foreman
pats the workers down
roving over curves and creases
searching for scraps of fabric or thread or dignity
that might find their way out
of the shop
I know
he thinks
to break this thing in me
that insists
I think
for myself
Just think
Pauline says,
if thousands of tiny lights
can outshine the moon,
is there anything
thousands of us
cannot do?
Audacity is full ideas: feminism, idealism, the power of knowledge, fighting for what is right, and never giving up no matter how hard it gets. Clara's story is inspiring in thousands of different ways, and this should be included on shelves everywhere.
The book is considered YA, but strong MG readers can handle it as well. I can't wait to share it with my own daughter.
December 30, 2015
One of my favorite things to do (if I have the time) at the library is to just browse the new releases/new purchases shelf and see if there is anything that catches my eye. While I was looking at the young adult shelf a couple of weeks ago, there was something about Audacity that made me pick it up. I can’t explain exactly what it was, but the cover caught my eye, as did the brief description on the book flap – so I said, what the heck and added it to my stack of books. I will say that I didn’t look close enough to realize it was a novel told in verse until I got home (not that that’s bad, it just took me by surprise) – but since I have read/enjoyed books told in that format before, I figured I would enjoy it and I wasn’t wrong.
Audacity tells the story of Clara Lemlich, a young Russian immigrant who became involved in the rise of labor unions in the early 1900’s. I had never heard of her until this book, but now I want to read more about her. I knew a little bit about the establishment of the unions in NYC during that time period, and a bit more about the Triangle Fire which occurred during that time period – but it’s not one that i’ve really studied (and honestly, don’t really remember it being covered in any of the US history courses I took in college). I thought this went well with my idea to read books about different women in history and how they contributed (as a follow-up to listening to The Invention of Wings, about the Grimke sisters). Clara Lemlich lived up to this quote that I love, “well-behaved women rarely make history” – even from a young age she wasn’t destined to be the meek mannered female that she was expected to be – she pushed all the boundaries that were available to her – wanting to learn more, do more and be more – not just being settled with her lot in life.
I found that the novel told in verse approach was something unique to historical fiction – i honestly don’t know how popular it is, I know its the first time i’ve come across it in this genre (my other experiences with it have been for contemporary/realistic fiction writings). I kind of want to see if I can find more like it because it was really well done. The pages and segments of the book flowed well between the different events that occurred in Clara’s life, including not only her union work, but also events in her life prior to that. I’m intrigued to not only read more by this author, but also more about the time period in history.
This is a book that I would recommend to adults and teens alike, its written in a way that teens would find it enjoyable, as well as adults and for adults, it may cover a slice of history that you aren’t familiar with. Overall, I gave Audacity 4 stars and intrigued to read more by the author in the future.
Audacity tells the story of Clara Lemlich, a young Russian immigrant who became involved in the rise of labor unions in the early 1900’s. I had never heard of her until this book, but now I want to read more about her. I knew a little bit about the establishment of the unions in NYC during that time period, and a bit more about the Triangle Fire which occurred during that time period – but it’s not one that i’ve really studied (and honestly, don’t really remember it being covered in any of the US history courses I took in college). I thought this went well with my idea to read books about different women in history and how they contributed (as a follow-up to listening to The Invention of Wings, about the Grimke sisters). Clara Lemlich lived up to this quote that I love, “well-behaved women rarely make history” – even from a young age she wasn’t destined to be the meek mannered female that she was expected to be – she pushed all the boundaries that were available to her – wanting to learn more, do more and be more – not just being settled with her lot in life.
I found that the novel told in verse approach was something unique to historical fiction – i honestly don’t know how popular it is, I know its the first time i’ve come across it in this genre (my other experiences with it have been for contemporary/realistic fiction writings). I kind of want to see if I can find more like it because it was really well done. The pages and segments of the book flowed well between the different events that occurred in Clara’s life, including not only her union work, but also events in her life prior to that. I’m intrigued to not only read more by this author, but also more about the time period in history.
This is a book that I would recommend to adults and teens alike, its written in a way that teens would find it enjoyable, as well as adults and for adults, it may cover a slice of history that you aren’t familiar with. Overall, I gave Audacity 4 stars and intrigued to read more by the author in the future.
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October 8, 2017I really enjoyed reading this book. Being a fan of learning about history especially the indusial revolution era I found this book to be very interesting and it gave a point of view that I have not heard about. I like how the story started at Clara’s home in Russia and explained the trials she faced there. I also liked how it describes the trip. I feel that by making Clara the main character, it gave more of an insight to the refugees and immigrants at this time. It told the story that many faced moving to the United States and showed how they wanted more rights and they would fight for them.
I also like how the book was written. It was like a bunch of little poems that made a bigger picture. I liked how each section was broken into years. The way that it was written made it seem like a really quick read. I also liked the vocabulary they used. There were a few words I to stop and look up. Usually, I could use the surrounding text to infer what the words meant, but by looking up the words it kept me interested and engaged while reading. I also like how the poems were written in different styles. I think this would be a good book to show a class how you can change little things like placement of words, size, or the font to make the reader read it differently.
This book was fun to read and the context was deep. I like how by focusing on one refugee helped the reader get emotionally attached to what Clara went through. I think that this helped explain the history of the United States and how people got treated differently. It shows how people would risk their lives every day to support their family. This would be a good book to have students read with a history lesson about United States history and the Industrial Revolution.
I also like how the book was written. It was like a bunch of little poems that made a bigger picture. I liked how each section was broken into years. The way that it was written made it seem like a really quick read. I also liked the vocabulary they used. There were a few words I to stop and look up. Usually, I could use the surrounding text to infer what the words meant, but by looking up the words it kept me interested and engaged while reading. I also like how the poems were written in different styles. I think this would be a good book to show a class how you can change little things like placement of words, size, or the font to make the reader read it differently.
This book was fun to read and the context was deep. I like how by focusing on one refugee helped the reader get emotionally attached to what Clara went through. I think that this helped explain the history of the United States and how people got treated differently. It shows how people would risk their lives every day to support their family. This would be a good book to have students read with a history lesson about United States history and the Industrial Revolution.
June 28, 2015
This is an inspirational book in verse based on the true story of Clara Lemlich. She was a Russian Jewish immigrant who was forced to work in horrible factory conditions in the early 1900s. Clara stood up for her rights and fought with the union. What I liked most about this book is the author gives so much information about Orthodox Judaism, unions, and feminism, but she doesn't hit readers over the head with the information. I don't enjoy reading books about religion, and I don't particularly seek out books about feminism (or unions, for that matter), yet I found Clara's story to be both fascinating and compelling. All types of readers will love this story, and it is very teachable.
Teacher's Tools for Navigation: I would love to teach this book. It offers great opportunities for building background knowledge about history. I wish this book existed when I used to teach The Jungle because the connections are innumerable. If I taught this book, I would use a jigsaw, research, and/or webquest activity where students spent time researching the 1900s, Russian immigration in the 1900s, unions, feminism, schooling in the 1900s, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and Orthodox Judaism. This knowledge would provide a rich reading of this text. Discussion Questions: How do Clara's parents and siblings view her actions?; Make a list of your top five values. Then, make a list of Clara's top five values. Are they the same? Different? Do you think your values differ from hers because of your personalities or because of the different time periods you live in?
Full review: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=5626
Teacher's Tools for Navigation: I would love to teach this book. It offers great opportunities for building background knowledge about history. I wish this book existed when I used to teach The Jungle because the connections are innumerable. If I taught this book, I would use a jigsaw, research, and/or webquest activity where students spent time researching the 1900s, Russian immigration in the 1900s, unions, feminism, schooling in the 1900s, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and Orthodox Judaism. This knowledge would provide a rich reading of this text. Discussion Questions: How do Clara's parents and siblings view her actions?; Make a list of your top five values. Then, make a list of Clara's top five values. Are they the same? Different? Do you think your values differ from hers because of your personalities or because of the different time periods you live in?
Full review: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=5626
August 13, 2015
I thought this book in verse was an incredibly good read! The story of Clara Lemlich is that of a Jewish girl in Russia who witnessed and lived through the pogrom there. She and her family, which in the story include her mother and father and brothers, Marcus, Nathan, and Benjamin, migrated to New York via a boat carrying 1000's of immigrants. What they went through on that journey alone was heartbreaking, as many experienced horrible illnesses and even death.
One aspect of the book that I loved is Clara's undying love for literature. Being in a home that values a woman who "knows her place," she was willing to hide her books and face her father's wrath when he found them That didn't even stop her.
This woman fought for a women's local union and continued her battle even though she was beaten severely by "gorillas," jailed by the police, and then had to go home and face her parents' accusations of being disobedient and rebellious.
At the end of the book were valuable and informative pages on Clara'S life and additional info or clarification of what she went through. I couldn't tear my eyes away from reading about this amazing woman! The book also included an interview with some of her family members and some terminology that would help those of us especially that are not Jewish and might not know as many of the words used that are specific to their faith.
Recommendation: All I can say is YES!!! I recommend this book wholeheartedly!
One aspect of the book that I loved is Clara's undying love for literature. Being in a home that values a woman who "knows her place," she was willing to hide her books and face her father's wrath when he found them That didn't even stop her.
This woman fought for a women's local union and continued her battle even though she was beaten severely by "gorillas," jailed by the police, and then had to go home and face her parents' accusations of being disobedient and rebellious.
At the end of the book were valuable and informative pages on Clara'S life and additional info or clarification of what she went through. I couldn't tear my eyes away from reading about this amazing woman! The book also included an interview with some of her family members and some terminology that would help those of us especially that are not Jewish and might not know as many of the words used that are specific to their faith.
Recommendation: All I can say is YES!!! I recommend this book wholeheartedly!
April 28, 2018
Read and Reviewed for School Library Journal (issue 2014-10-01):
**STARRED REVIEW**
Gr 7 Up—Written in verse, this novel is loosely based on the life of Clara Lemlich Shavelson, the leader of New York shirtwaist strike of 1909. Clara and her family are Jewish Russians who flee the anti-Semitism of turn-of-the-century Russia to find a better life in America. However, Clara still experiences gender and religious oppression in New York. She is unable to gain the education she desires, because she is forced to work in a sweatshop, and she can't rise above her given status as an immigrant worker because foreign women are taught only rudimentary English. But "Inside I am anything/ but fresh off the boat./ I have been ready for this/ possibility/ all my life," Clara declares, and she proves that she has the audacity to do the impossible for a female and a Jew: organizing a woman's union and ultimately having her voice heard. The verse form of the narrative lends lightness to an otherwise bleak topic and moves the story along quickly, while artful formatting of the text creates and sustains mood. This book stands alone in its topic and time frame, with only Michelle Markel's picture book Brave Girl (HarperCollins, 2013) as a nonfiction companion. With historical notes, interviews with Clara's family members, and a glossary of Yiddish terms, Audacity is an impactful addition to any historical fiction collection.
**STARRED REVIEW**
Gr 7 Up—Written in verse, this novel is loosely based on the life of Clara Lemlich Shavelson, the leader of New York shirtwaist strike of 1909. Clara and her family are Jewish Russians who flee the anti-Semitism of turn-of-the-century Russia to find a better life in America. However, Clara still experiences gender and religious oppression in New York. She is unable to gain the education she desires, because she is forced to work in a sweatshop, and she can't rise above her given status as an immigrant worker because foreign women are taught only rudimentary English. But "Inside I am anything/ but fresh off the boat./ I have been ready for this/ possibility/ all my life," Clara declares, and she proves that she has the audacity to do the impossible for a female and a Jew: organizing a woman's union and ultimately having her voice heard. The verse form of the narrative lends lightness to an otherwise bleak topic and moves the story along quickly, while artful formatting of the text creates and sustains mood. This book stands alone in its topic and time frame, with only Michelle Markel's picture book Brave Girl (HarperCollins, 2013) as a nonfiction companion. With historical notes, interviews with Clara's family members, and a glossary of Yiddish terms, Audacity is an impactful addition to any historical fiction collection.
September 15, 2019
Carla's inner turmoil was extreme. Every protest or stance for a long time earned her vast beatings and broken ribs. At such a young age Carla went through so much and saw things that couldn't be unseen. She had an incredible amount of tenacity and a fearless determination that truly made a difference for millions of lives. Audacity is inspiring in not only advocating the importance of education but the importance of always standing up for what's right. Lemlich proves that even the smallest voices can make a huge difference, and that women are just as powerful and significant as men. Read way more of my review at https://pagesforthoughts.blogspot.com...
August 10, 2016
This is historical fiction about the early life of Clara Lemlich written in free verse.
If you, like me, had no prior idea who that was, be aware that the book is a slightly fictionalized account, changing around some details about family members and dates and imagining the rest, but the framework is there. Clara Lemlich was a feminist factory organizer in 1900s New York, probably most famous for organizing strikers after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that killed 150.
I have a sneaking suspicion that free verse is only being used to make it stick out and check off another box in school curricula. Still an interesting read though.
If you, like me, had no prior idea who that was, be aware that the book is a slightly fictionalized account, changing around some details about family members and dates and imagining the rest, but the framework is there. Clara Lemlich was a feminist factory organizer in 1900s New York, probably most famous for organizing strikers after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that killed 150.
I have a sneaking suspicion that free verse is only being used to make it stick out and check off another box in school curricula. Still an interesting read though.
December 9, 2016
This is my first reading of a book in verse and I'm hooked. I thought the format would take a way from the telling but to my surprise I was very wrong. The format enhanced the telling through brief, powerful, well written sentences. The emotion and history conveyed by the story stays with you long after you're done reading it.
September 6, 2015
I would never have thought I would have enjoyed a book written in verse this much, but it was special. It was about a girl at the turn of the century who worked in a sweatshop and started a union. Based on a true person and story.
January 24, 2016
Clara is amazing and the things she did are astounding. I loved that this was written in verse. That made the beatings and harassment a little easier to read about for the briefness, though no less impactful. This should be required reading.
December 27, 2017
I am in awe of how this author pulled together the words to tell such a powerful story. Prior to reading this, I hadn’t heard about Clara and her life, and after reading, I want to find out more about others who fought during the time.
July 12, 2024
Audacity is a YA book in verse about the Clara Lemlich, an organizer and activist that helped women in the garment industry unionize and fight for better working conditions in early 1900s New York. I've read a few historical fiction books about this movement and time period, but I had never heard of Clara before; and I found this story to be filled with eye-opening challenges. She grew up in a family and culture in which only the men were allowed/expected to learn while the women were expected to work. Her family fled the hatred of Russian pograms, and she arrived in New York to face business conditions in which poverty, ethnicity, and age were all used to control a largely female teenage workforce.
Yet despite--and in some cases because--of all these challenges, Clara was driven. She is a very human character in this book: a dreamer, a student, a risk-taker, and a leader. A quote on the cover is rather misleading, as it implies that the plot covers the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, which did not occur until a couple years after the conclusion of the story; however, the true subject matter is more than historically significant on its own. And the book is beautifully written.
A quick online search of Clara's name tells me there are many more details about her life to be learned, but as with most of my favorite historical fiction books, this one was a great place to get started.
Yet despite--and in some cases because--of all these challenges, Clara was driven. She is a very human character in this book: a dreamer, a student, a risk-taker, and a leader. A quote on the cover is rather misleading, as it implies that the plot covers the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, which did not occur until a couple years after the conclusion of the story; however, the true subject matter is more than historically significant on its own. And the book is beautifully written.
A quick online search of Clara's name tells me there are many more details about her life to be learned, but as with most of my favorite historical fiction books, this one was a great place to get started.
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