Ashes of Roses Book Review

Ashes of Roses is a historical-fiction novel written by Mary Jane Auch. The novel tells a story about a 16 year-old girl named Rose Nolan who travels from Ireland to America because it is supposedly “paved with gold.” After arriving in America, part of her family is forced to return home across the Atlantic, leaving Rose and her 12 year-old sister Maureen alone in America. After they are finally settling in and making new friends, a horrible fire breaks out in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, where Rose worked. From there on, Rose and her sister are left to find out if there is any opportunity left for them in America.
This book takes place mainly in New York except in the very beginning when it describes them on the ship while they are about to pull into the docks of Ellis Island. Throughout this book you will also be able to learn about the huge fire at the Triangle Factory in New York that took place on March 25, 1911. I really like this book because of the characters. All of their different and unique personalities made the book full of drama.
In this book, there are many different and important characters. The main character in the story is Rose Nolan, who also narrates the story. Rose is a poor, Irish girl who is very caring, responsible, determined, strong, brave and intelligent. “…then I told Ma about my plan to find work so we could move out.” This quote, said by Rose, shows how persistent and determined she is to go out and find work so she can support her family and have a good life in America.
Maureen is Rose’s 12 year-old sister. In the story, she stays behind in America with Rose and helps her cope with their daily challenges. Maureen is very snotty and bratty and has a big mouth. She is also not afraid to protest if she is unhappy or unsatisfied. “She grabbed Hildegarde by her potholder braids and dragged her down to the floor. Then she pulled on the braids, poppin’ hairpins all over the floor, and tied them together right in Hildegarde’s mouth like a gag.” This quote describes Maureen’s anger being taken out on her cousin and shows how she is not afraid to show how she feels about someone.
I really enjoyed reading this book because it contained a lot of detail and drama. I would recommend this book to girls anywhere from them ages of 11 to 14. This book really grabbed my attention because I felt as though I could relate to a lot of the types of situations and hardships Rose was going through in the book. I also liked it because of the way it was written. Since it was in Rose’s perspective (first person), I felt as though I was able to grasp more detail because Rose was always in the middle of the action. Overall I think the book was very entertaining and had a great storyline, which is why I recommend this book as a fantastic read to middle school girls.