Book Review by E: "Hear My Sorrow" (Deborah Hopkinson)

"Hear My Sorrow" by Deborah Hopkinson is the diary of Angela Denoto, a fictional Italian girl who works in a shirtwaist factory in America in 1909. She is in the strike against the different shirtwaist and cloak companies for better working conditions. Her older sister works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory when it burns down. Her sister was one of the survivors, but two of Angela's friends died in it. Angela was outside the building when it burned.

This book is part of the Dear America series which are fictional diaries based on historic events. Like all the Dear America books, this one is from the perspective of a girl. And like many of the books in the series, the girl is an immigrant. There is also a series called My America which are very much alike, but from a boy's point of view.

I think this book wouldn't be good for readers younger than age 10 because it does describe the fire and how the people were treated in the strike. Would be good for girls who like exciting books with tragedy. You don't have to like history, but it sort of makes you like history, so if you're set on not liking history, don't read it. Boys might find it interesting, but not as interesting as girls will because it's a girl's point of view.