Audacity by Melanie Crowder

Membership in labor unions in the U.S. has significantly declined in the past 10 years, both as a result of legislative action to eliminate compulsory union dues and as a general disillusionment with union effectiveness in meeting member demands.  What we tend to forget, and what this novel by Melanie Crowder reminds us of, is the reason for the birth of unions.  Crowder presents a fictionalized account of the life of union activist Clara Lemlich.  As a young woman, Clara emigrated from a small village in Russia to escape the pogroms targeting Jews.  Clara and her family eventually arrived in New York City and Clara, needing to help support her family, took a job in a sweatshop, sewing for a garment manufacturer. Young women employed in these factories were forced to work 7 days a week and 10 hour days with only the briefest of breaks for lunch and bathrooms.  Each day, upon leaving work, they were searched and fondled by supervisors ostensibly looking for anything the girls were trying to smuggle.  Protests were met with immediate dismissal.  The author chronicles the women's struggles in the face of inhumane conditions and physical violence.  Clara's story makes for a fascinating and thoughtful read.