Fire at the Triangle Factory

Six days a week Minnie and Tessa sit, shoulder to shoulder, bent over sewing machines in a big room overflowing with piles of fabric, patterns, and lace. There is no fresh air, the light is dim, and there are too many people in the room. The work is hard and the days are long. Minnie and Tessa work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City. The two fourteen-year-olds are best friends. It isn’t easy for a Jewish girl and a Catholic girl to be friends in 1911—some people think they’re just too different. But Minnie and Tessa must depend on that friendship when the Triangle factory goes up in flames and they are trapped on the ninth floor. This moving story of courage and friendship is based on true accounts of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire of March 25, 1911.