Ashes of Roses Book Review

Ashes of Roses Book Review

The novel, Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch, was a very inspirational book about a sixteen year old girl who has to find her way in America- the land of opportunity. Previously Margaret Rose, Rose Nolan must find a good job when her parents leave to go back to Ireland. She and her twelve year old sister, Maureen must work at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory to earn a living and make their way in New York. While working at the Factory, there is a huge fire that takes many lives, and impacts Rose's life as well.
I would recommend this book to people, but warn them. Ashes of Roses explains in detail a very tragic event in American history where many innocent people died. It's a very sad book, but also very inspiring because of Rose's loyal decisions.
I really liked the theme of this book. I like reading about past times, where there are no televisions, microwaves, fancy sports cars, computers, and all the modern-day technology. It's very refreshing to read about a time that was so simple, yet so difficult and confusing. Rose goes through so much in this book- she endures so much tragedy and sorrow, but is also very happy and content. She also grows a lot as a person. She becomes much more adult-like, more like a mother. She gains street smarts and learns all about how to survive in America. She learns what is appropriate and where she should go, and when to go, and what to say, and how to stand, and what not to do, et cetera. All of this she learns from friends that she meets. One example is when Tessa, a girl from the flower-making business, tells Rose not to let Mr. Moscovitz touch her because he is 'testing her'.
The author, Mary Jane Auch, really gets you into the book. At first, it is a little dry because nothing terribly exciting happens. But once it's just Rose and Maureen in America, then the book really begins. You become very emotionally involved with all the havoc and craziness in this book. Especially at the end, you loose a lot of beloved characters and there is an immense amount of sorrow and agony. Mary Jane Auch almost forces you to care about the characters. She makes you love the choice that Rose makes in the end- what she is going to make of her life. I know I was very relieved and happy to find out, but she made you wait until the very last page of the book...
Personally, I really liked Maureen's character. At first, she was a selfish little brat who didn't care too much about anyone but herself. Once her mother left to go back to Ireland, she had to stay with Rose and go to school. Right after the fire, you see how much she has truly changed from a little girl to an understanding, caring, compassionate, thoughtful young lady. In the book, Maureen says, “Well, I've been doin' a lot of thinkin'. Ye know Ma and Da are never comin' back here, don't ye?”. That showed me that she really thought about everything from then on.
I also liked how the book was in first person. I think making it a sixteen year old's perspective was fascinating because you could really see how she witnessed and survived the fire, as well as how big the impact on her life it had. It also makes you see how dangerous life was- and still is- for young women. How vulnerable they are and how easily damaged they are.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911. You really get an inside look at how this fire impacted so many families and lives.

“I was going to reach out and grab this new life in America with all my strength, because I was brought here for a purpose. Gussie Garoff, Rose Klein, Rose Bellini and all the others were silent now, so it was up to girls like me to make sure they weren't forgotten. There was a lot that needed to be said about what had happened at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. An I was goin' to tell everybody who would listen.”
~Rose Nolan, Ashes of Roses