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A 2015 National Jewish Book Award finalistThe 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.
Lexile Measure: 1120 (What's this?)
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Speak; Reprint edition (January 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0147512492
ISBN-13: 978-0147512499
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1.1 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #56,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #27 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > United States > 20th Century #101 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > United States > 1900s #139 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Stories In Verse
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
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.
I love browsing the new release shelves at my local library. I often request books through the library network, but the new release shelves are a great place to find books that might not have been on my radar. This is where I found Audacity, a book of free verse poetry for young adults by Melanie Crowder.Audacity is a fictionalization of Clara Lemlich’s life. The story begins at the beginning of the 20th century in the Pale of Settlement, the portion of Russian land in which Jewish families are allowed to live. While Clara’s father and brothers devote their days to studying the Torah, Clara secretly learns Russian. She has always had a love for learning, and Russian unlocks a world of literature and learning that is not accessible via her native Yiddish. When her father discovers her Russian books, he burns them. When the Russians burn down their village in a pogrom, the family makes their way to America.Once they settle in New York City, Clara’s father and brothers continue to devote their days to studying, and it is up to Clara to find a job. She is shocked by the deplorable conditions in the factories: the workers are locked in, they don’t have access to a bathroom except during their short breaks, and the foremen often have wandering hands.Clara knows that they all deserve better, but she doesn’t know how to achieve that goal. When Clara attends a union meeting, the men don’t take her seriously. Over the course of the book, Clara relentlessly fights for fair conditions for workers. She is beaten and jailed, but she will not be deterred. Her story is so inspirational, and it is amazing to realize that these events are only slightly more than one hundred years old.
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