National Poetry Month 2015: Celebrating AUDACITY by Melanie Crowder

The third feature in my National Poetry Month 2015 celebration is the verse novel Audacity by Melanie Crowder. I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this striking novel and was very intrigued by the story and the way it is told. This book information is from Goodreads:

The inspiring story of Clara Lemlich, whose fight for equal rights led to the largest strike by women in American history

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.

Published January 8th 2015 by Philomel Books.

Before reading Audacity I wasn't familiar with Clara Lemlich and I'm happy to know more about her life, her struggles, and her bravery in the face of adversity. I appreciate the way that Melanie took the historical facts and created a story, layering in foreshadowing, setting, character details, all within the constraints of a real person, a real peroid in history, and as a verse novel - it's ambitious and very well done. Here's a poem from Audacity that I admire for providing setting, action, and character information while offering a lovely starling simile which is highlighted through the concrete details of the words on the second page:Pages 70-71 from Audacity by Melanie Crowder. Shared with the author's permission.

I'd like to offer my ARC of Audacity to one winner who is currently living in the United States. To enter, leave a comment and click on the Rafflecopter link to complete your entry. The raffle ends at midnight on April 19 and I'll contact the winner after that for instructions on where to send the book.

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 UPDATE: The Raffle is over - Michelle H. Barnes is the winner of Audacity! Congratulations, Michelle!

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Good luck and thanks for stopping by!