Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin

Marrin, Albert Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy,  163 p. Knopf (Random), 2011.  $19.99.  NON-FICTION.  March 23, 2011 is the 100^th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire – the deadliest fire in New York City until the day the Twin Towers fell; the impetus for the rise of unions in the US and the catalyst for legislation aimed at reducing sweatshops (too bad it didn’t do anything to reform insurance companies, too).  Marrin uses meticulous research, period photographs and other print materials, coupled with a voice that is easy for students to digest, to bring this awful day in history to life.  He doesn’t stop there, however, but also illuminates the legacy of the fire in America and the continued existence of sweatshops and dangerous work conditions in other countries, where factory owners took the work, as America had become to expensive.  This gorgeous book is a must read for students and adults!  MS, HS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher