Review: Rose Spoke Out
Rose Spoke Out: The Story of Rose Schneiderman by Emma Carlson Berne, illustrated by Giovanni Abeille Apples & Honey (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick Buy at Bookshop.org This is the story of Rose Schneiderman, a Jewish immigrant from Poland who became a leading labor activist in early 20th-century NYC. When 13-year-old Rose's father died, she had to leave school and go to work in a sweatshop, where she and other women sewed hats under harsh and unsafe conditions. Learning that females earned less than males was the final straw in Rose's mounting anger. She ultimately led a walkout by thousands of women in hundreds of factories, demanding better working conditions and fairer wages. Things improved a little, but not enough to prevent the notorious Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in 1911. In the wake of that tragedy, Rose's impassioned speech before a packed audience at the Metropolitan Opera House became a turning po...