March 25th marks the 111th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in which 146 young garment workers met their death. Reading about this tragic event led me to write Ashes of Roses, a novel about a young girl who arrived in America filled with hopes and dreams only to find herself trapped in that infamous inferno.
The research for this novel was heartbreaking. Most of the victims of the fire were young immigrant women who were grateful to have landed a job at the Triangle. It was almost closing time on Saturday afternoon and the girls were about to head home. There was no hint of trouble for the workers on the crowded ninth floor where the flames rushed in at the same time as the first warning.
