Triangle: The Fire That Changed America

The winner for July is Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle. This book is a New York Times Notable Book, and is supposed to be a can't-put-it-down page turner when it describes the actual fire.

"It was a profitable business in a modern fireproof building heralded as a model of efficiency. Yet the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City became the deadliest workplace in American history when fire broke out on the premises on March 25, 1911. Within about 15 minutes the blaze killed 146 workers-most of them immigrant Jewish and Italian women in their teens and early 20s. Though most workers on the eighth and 10th floors escaped, those on the ninth floor were trapped behind a locked exit door. As the inferno spread, the trapped workers either burned to death inside the building or jumped to their deaths on the sidewalk below. Journalist Von Drehle recounts the disaster-the worst in New York City until September 11, 2001-in passionate detail. He explains the sociopolitical context in which the fire occurred and the subsequent successful push for industry reforms, but is at his best in his moment-by-moment account of the fire. He describes heaps of bodies on the sidewalk, rows of coffins at the makeshift morgue where relatives identified charred bodies by jewelry or other items, and the scandalous manslaughter trial at which the Triangle owners were acquitted of all charges stemming from the deaths. Von Drehle's engrossing account, which emphasizes the humanity of the victims and the theme of social justice, brings one of the pivotal and most shocking episodes of American labor history to life." -Publisher's Weekly taken from amazon.com

Plus, New York Times review: http://query.nytimes....

This coffeeshop (formerly known as Wai Cafe) has teas and coffees of course, but also $3 beers and $4 wines on weekends. There is also a full bar, a weekend brunch menu, and a regular lunch menu. I like them because they give us separate checks and don't seem to mind when someone (like myself) orders one cappuccino and then sits & chats for a couple of hours. However, we have met here before and I am not that attached to this place; if you want another venue please e-mail me your suggestion through the website. Thanks.

Don't forget to join the group at the following events which are tours related to the book:
1. Sunday July 27th 11am Jewish LES Big Onion Walking Tour http://bookclub.meetu...
2. Sunday August 17th 945am LES Tenement Museum Tour: Piecing It Together http://bookclub.meetu...
3. Monday Sept 1st (1 Year Anniversary) Big Onion Labor History Tour
http://bookclub.meetu...