BOOK REVIEW: 44 Hours or Strike! by Anne Dublin

BLURB:

The Toronto Dressmakers’ Strike of 1931 brings young sisters Sophie and Rose together in their fight for better working conditions, decent wages, and for their union. It’s a tough battle as distrust and resentment of immigrants is growing, with many people blaming their poverty and difficulties on these workers. Sophie and Rose are faced with unexpected — and sometimes violent — barriers, and they quickly find that a strike is more than just a march. 

Barely into the strike, Rose is imprisoned after a fight in a picket line, leaving fourteen-year-old Sophie to take care of their ailing mother at night and spend her days protesting in the freezing wind. Rose’s isolation in prison weakens her resolve for change. Will they be able to continue the fight for what they once so strongly believed in? 

In the midst of anti-Semitism and the Great Depression, Sophie, Rose, and their union come together to try to make a lasting change.

REVIEW BY: Angel, age 12 years, 10 months

MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:

This non-fiction book is a great story! It is very sad and nerve racking in some parts. 

Rose is a 16 year old Jewish girl and her sister Sophie is 14. Since their father died, they both had to get jobs making fancy clothes for low wages with extremely long work hours. When the Jewish union goes on strike for 44 hours to get 15% more on their wages, Rose gets put in jail and Sophie has to try to stay strong. Nothing is going right, but they need to keep going because Rose, Sophie and their mother want everything to go back to normal before Passover. 

In this powerful non-fiction novel you experience determination, love and strength of the marvelous characters. 

My favorite part is when Sophie and Jake touch hands. My favorite character is a tie between Rose and Jake because they show great strength and I admire them for that. 

I recommend this book to all non-fiction lovers!

I would love for you to comment on this book because of the effects that it had on me. Please and thank you! 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 11 and up. 

This book's publishing date is October 6, 2015.