Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and its Legacy by Albert Marrin Ages 10-15 192 pages Knopf February 2011 Hardcover     Albert Marrin’s thought-provoking appraisal of early 20th-century immigration and the hardships, conditions and opportunities endured in the workforce - particularly by women - makes an indelible impression on the reader. In essence, this is not only the story of the most horrible workplace accident in history (except for 9/11) but a fascinating account of the second major wave of immigration to America and how technology and politics impacted their lives. A number of factors played a role in the conditions which lead to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire; the tragedy could have happened in almost any garment factory at the time. Workers, mainly women, had little choice in their occupations; many were young girls who needed to work to help support their families. Long hours, horrid working conditions and unsafe environments were the norm. Yet, it is out of this disaster that significant change came to the American workplace. Women were recognized as leaders in the labor movement, political corruption was exposed, and social safety nets and laws were put in place to attempt to prevent future fires and loss of life. Fully indexed and supported with many historical photographs, Marrin’s book is an excellent resource for student research. Even more so, it is a fascinating view of immigration – important background to understand the literature of the time, and the labor environment today – in the United States and abroad. The photographs, some of which are rather shocking, reveal the aftermath of the fire and horror of the tragedy, but mainly they bring to life the faces, and circumstances of life and events which preceded the fire. Each chapter’s narrative flows smoothly as it unites quotations with historical information and makes connections to contemporary life. Flesh and Blood So Cheap is an important resource for the study of 20th-century American history, women’s history or literature set in or from that period. Highly recommended.     web reviews   Kristine Wildner/2011 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)