Audacity

Written by Melanie Crowder

Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon

A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power, Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. Bucking the norms of both her traditional Jewish family and societal conventions, Clara refuses to accept substandard working conditions in the factories on Manhattan's Lower East Side. For years, Clara devotes herself to the labor fight, speaking up for those who suffer in silence. In time, Clara convinces the women in the factories to strike, organize, and unionize, culminating in the famous Uprising of the 20,000.

Powerful, breathtaking, and inspiring, Audacity is the story of a remarkable young woman, whose passion and selfless devotion to her cause changed the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781541433151

Melanie Crowder

Melanie Crowder lives on the Colorado Front Range, where she is a writer and educator. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of the middle grade novels Parched, A Nearer Moon, and the Lighthouse Keepers series and the young adult novels Audacity and An Uninterrupted View of the Sky. Visit her at MelanieCrowder.com.

Reviews for Audacity

[Arshdeep Gill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fast and engaging read! I flew through this book. The narrator was excellent.

[scatlett-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Written in free verse, Melanie Crowder’s Audacity celebrates the complex person that was Clara Lemlich. A Russian Jewish immigrant in the early twentieth century, Clara fought injustice in a time when struggling meant not just lost wages, but sometimes jail and often a broken and bruised body as well. Clara’s strength of character shines as she repeatedly makes impossible choices between her lifelong desire to become a doctor and her determination to improve women’s rights in the workplace. Clara quickly became recognized for her leadership amongst the garment factory workers and is best known for a speech that incited 20,000 women to strike for better working conditions in the garment factories. Crowder’s verse vividly paints a picture of the Progressive Era as seen from the perspective of a garment factory worker living in New York City’s Lower East Side. Includes an historical note, a transcript of the author’s interview with Clara Lemlich family, a glossary, and a selected bibliography.

[readerscandyb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could use many words to describe this book, but the one that stands out amongst all others is empowerment. Clara was a hero during her time. She immigrated with big dreams, but quickly dropped them for a greater good. She experienced the brutal workforce first-hand and made it her priority to stop it. She fought for fair wages, safe workplaces, freedom from harrassment, and so much more. She put all she had into creating a women's union. She was belittled, beaten, laughed at, locked away, and shamed; and yet she never gave up. Her fierce bravery and strong will led her to one of America's greatest historic successes. It wasn't an easy battle, but she used her voice to empower others to use theirs.

Audacity was a book that I will never forget. It had a way of pulling me so deep into the pages that the lines between fiction and reality blurred. Each movement Clara made I felt as if I were making the movement myself. Every laugh directed at her, every punch thrown... I felt it. The words had a way of wrapping themselves around me and pulling me under. It's as if I slowly drowned in a pool of historic tragedy and was resucitated to a new world. Clara made sure that the brutality stopped. She pushed for equal rights and without her, who knows what America would be like today.

I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. It's a story of ultimate sacrifice and I think all who read it will gain a broader appreciation for those who helped mold our world into what it is today.

[robert.zimmermann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a book I randomly grabbed because I was looking for verse novels to read. I’ve enjoyed the form from many different authors, but knew nothing about Audacity or Crowder’s work. Having now read the book, I’m glad I picked this one up.

I hadn’t heard of Clara Lemlich, the narrator (and historical figure), before but now I feel like I have a good idea of who she was. While this was a fictional representation of a few years in Clara’s life, it felt genuine to me. Crowder did a great job of showing the struggle of being an immigrant in the early part of the twentieth century. She also showed the struggles workers, particularly women, went through just to barely make a living wage, at the time.

Along with Clara’s life story being told, this is the story of sweat shop workers, the rise of unions, and women’s rights. These women put up with a lot to earn some money. Crowder doesn’t hold anything back, either. Knowing the details of how the strikes went and the violence they union members had to deal with, it gives me even more respect for those who stood up for their rights.

I don’t read many historical novels, but this will be one I highly recommend from now on. With it being a novel in verse, it only adds to my enjoyment and I think the form allowed the story to have more of an impact on my, as well.