Lost

by Jacqueline Davies

Summary:
Essie has always had a hard life.  She's taken care of her younger sister since Zelda was born, and now works all day at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company to support both of them and her mother.  But when Essie meets Harriet, the new girl at work, she is immediately intrigued.  After all, why on earth would a well dressed, educated girl be working for $6 a day?  Despite the secrets both keep they find friendship together, but tragedy works in mysterious ways.  Neither is really who they appears, and neither have made it through life unscathed.

Review:
Set in the early 1900's, Lost seamlessly blends fiction and reality. Many aspects of the book are real, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Company and the terrible fire that happened there which changed fire code standards throughout the US.  Essie is like thousands of workers at the time, struggling to remain a step beyond complete poverty and desperation but finding ways to live there. One of the most interesting twists of the book involves Essie and her sister Zelda, though Harriet and her heiress story is also quite intriguing.  A good book for tweens who like historical fiction.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 7th Grade