This book brought me back to the days of strikes in America and I could vividly picture everything that was going on. I could feel for Rosa and Jake and everyone else who was starving and could taste the food they ate when they received food. It brings emotion to the reader-something that history textbooks do not do. The first half of the book was slow but the second half was much better and easier to read through.

Katherine Paterson writes this story of a boy and a girl who are sent to be cared for in Barre, VT during the Lawrence Mass. textile workers strike of 1912. This was also called the Bread and Roses Strike, thus the title of the book. She describes the life they were living in Lawrence before being sent to Barre, and also their life with the family in Barre. The boy and girl are not related, but knew each other slightly in Lawrence.

This is a well written book, telling a good story. My book group of older educated women really liked it and so did I. It generated a good discussion.

I have always wanted to read this book and when the Vermont Humanities Council made it the 2018 Vermont Read, I had my chance. Full disclaimer, I am a former History teacher who taught Barre, VT History at Spaulding High School so I am partial to anything written about Barre. I have also taught about the Lawrence Strike and so it was a pleasure to read about these two special places in one book. Paterson's story is based around a real event and an image located in the Barre Historical Society depicting the 35 Lawrence children who arrived in Barre to escape the violence of a national strike in front of the Labor Hall.

The book is based around Rosa who's mother and sister work in the mills of Lawrence MA, and Joe, who also worked in the mills but who became a striker. They are part of a story based around the Lawrence Strike of 1912 in which the mills decided to counter the required lowering of the 56 hour week to 54 hours, but lowering the wages of its workers in order to make up the profit loss. Already desperately poor, the workers struck and in turn produced one of the biggest and most violent strikes in American History. Katherine Paterson does an incredible job describing the living conditions and the absolute poverty experienced by the workers of the mills and illustrating the unscrupulous ways in which the mill owners were able to keep their workers tied to their machines. As Rosa's mother stated, she worked for $6.25 per week, but the mill owner charged $6.00 per week rent which left her with .25 cents to feed her three children. Labor laws allowed children as young as 12 to work in the mills and Joe is another perfect example of how domestic abuse and the impact alcoholism had on families during the early 20th century. Expected to work in order to support his father's drinking habits, young Joe would often rather sleep in a garbage heap than face his father's abuse. As the strike intensified and the threat of violence became real after the death of Anna LoPizzo, many of the strikers sent their children out of the city to be safe with other sympathetic Union towns such as Barre Vermont. When more women and children were beaten and arrested for trying to send more children out of town, national outrage and a Congressional investigation forced the Mill owners to give into the Striker demands.

Katherine Patterson wove an amazing story of the lives of young people with a national historical event. I really loved it and in many respects still wished I taught history so I could use this in my classroom.

The book Bread and Roses, Too to me feels as though it is split into two stories. The first being filled with facts and historical information about the strike. This is where we meet our two main characters, Rosa Serutti, and Jake Beale. The second story is set in Barre Vermont, where we have our fictional side of things. This, I think, is sort of odd because I feel that the second "story" is much more interesting and more exciting. I would have enjoyed this book more if the author made what felt like one story based of historical information, and combined it with a fictional story. I did enjoy that as the reader, I got to follow the story of Jake Beale and Rosa Serutti and see how they accomplished what they needed to accomplish. But because of the story's two part scenario, Rosa's character felt a bit elusive in the first half because she was just "there". She didn't have to have a big impact on the story, so I didn't need to care about her. When Jake on the other hand has an interesting story, and becomes more sympathetic throughout the story and I like to see character development in a story. I also did like the way this book ends. Nice job Katherine Paterson on that one.

Overall, the reason I gave this book an "I liked it" three star rating is because of exactly that-I liked it. I did not love it because I felt it lacked some key things to make a more interesting story.

Interesting because of the history about the mill strike, but I never really cared for either of the main characters. It was kind of a chore to read. I was surprised because I loved this author's other book "Jacob Have I Loved."

This is the Vermont Humanity Council’s Vermont Reads choice for 2018

There is a beloved photo in Barre, Vermont, where I live, of a group of the children standing in front of the Labor Hall on Granite Street—just off the train from Lawrence, Massachusetts, they are children of the Bread and Roses strikers. It was a long and a brutal strike. Without enough food, and afraid for their own and their children’s safety (with good cause, I will add), union folks from all over the east coast took in the children for the duration of the strike, including this handful in Barre.

The novel tells the story from the point of view of two children— Rosa, the school child daughter of an Italian immigrant millworker, and Jake, a millworker himself, “native born,” abused by his father and living a hard scrabble life. Paterson’s researcher has done a fine job of catching the history and Paterson’s story weaves though themes that resonate with many young folks today and is bound to resonate with many.

I admired the main character, and I it was cool to read a book that was set in Barre. I learned that when poor factory workers went on strike to demand better working conditions and schools for their children, they sent their kids away from the city to be safe in Barre. I'd like to learn more about this.

Bread and Roses, Too was a very interesting book. In the beginning I feel as though it moves very slowly and takes a while to become that page turner book that we all want to read. Overall I gave the book a three. Kathryn Patterson does a very good job using historical context, maybe even too good.
Patterson tells all about the history of this story, but to fully understand the book you need to know the history. If you don't know the history and what was going on in that time period then, the book will move even slower for you. Once the main characters set off into a new world the book seems to be rewritten. It picks up and becomes that page turner. I personally am not a reader, but after about 2/3rds through the book I could not put it down. It does become that page turner that we all want.
After you get past the turning point, the book, I feel, takes a huge twist. If the book started at the turning point, I would probably give it 4.5/5 stars. The drama becomes real and the stories come alive.
I would recommend this book to anyone who really knows about the Bread and Roses strike or just loves history in general. You really need to be a dedicated person to read the book.
I did like the book but I can't say that I "loved" it. As I said before, it's slow in the beginning and then picks up. Just be patient with the book if you plan on reading it. Trust me it gets a lot more interesting! Have fun reading Bread and Roses, Too!

In Lawrence, MA, the immigrant workers of the wool mills go on strike to demand better wages and conditions. The story focuses on two young teens: Rosa, who fears the consequences of her mother and sister’s participation in the strike, and Jake, a mill worker and the son of an abusive, drunk father whom he escapes by sleeping in the streets. As the strike progresses, the worker parents decide to send their children away “on vacation†to be cared for by other families with the help of the union. Thirty-five of the kids, including Rosa are sent to Barre, VT. Jake, on the run after discovering his father is dead and fearing the police may be after him, sneaks on to the train thinking he is headed for New York. Rosa pretends Jake is her brother and they are taken in by an elder Italian couple, the Gerbatis. In the midst of fear, anger, and skepticism glimmers love and hope. Lib notes: Some ethnic slurs, such as “wop.â€

Bread and Roses,Too is a great book about two kids and their different yet very similar lives through the 1912 Lawrence Labor strike. This historical fiction novel showed the many hardships and challenges children living in Lawrence, Massachusetts had to overcome. The daily struggle of the logistics of the strike, safety, and your life were all things the two main characters, Rosa and Jake had to face.

Throughout the book there were some moments I couldn't put it down and other parts through which I had to persevere. I felt that looking back on the book that it had the historical essence in parts and in different moments it was a regular fiction book, however not integrated into a great historical fiction read. Although I learned so much about the Lawrence strike I didn't know, it sometimes made me feel like I was reading a History book. The inner story of Rosa and Jake and their life evolving around the strike is one I will remember. It made me look at my life and see how easy I have it and lucky I am. The people of Lawrence's fight opened up so many opportunities for the American worker to regain their voice which we fought do hard for.

The overall book was one that has a great story about the difficulties faced by families and children alike and showing when people work together, anything can be accomplished.

The author's own words sum up this book: "It is the story of the powerless against the mighty, the story of those who do the work while struggling to survive hunger, cold, accident, and disease, and of the self-satisfied owners who bask in luxury and despise the very persons who make their lives of ease possible. In short, it is a story of our own times." I'm grateful to Paterson for her courage and honesty in making that claim. In addition to the wonderful writing, engaging story, and rich characterization which Paterson always provides, this book does the country the service of demonstrating with awful clarity the human results of the sort of political maneuvering, obstinacy, and governing for the benefit of the few which now rule our nation - both parties, but most egregiously the Republicans. This book should be required reading for every member of congress who supports eliminating food stamps and refuses to tax the rich.

This gave a really good picture of what it would be like to be living in that time. Although, i thought that Rosa was a really unlikable character. She was so wimpy and up tight. Children typically are very loyal to parents and believe what their parents belive. I dont think shw would have really had the same thought processes that she did in the book.