January 1905 is the story of ten-year-old twins, Pauline and Arlene. The girls are born into a family that works in a textile mill in 1905. Arlene is born with a club foot and stays home to do the family’s cooking and cleaning, while Pauline works 12 hour shifts in the mill. Each sister envies the other, imagining that her twin has the easier lot in life. When a mill accident injures Pauline, Arlene must go to work in the mill in her place. The twins learn to appreciate each other’s contribution to the family. They scrimp to pool their meager earnings to buy a set of jacks. The book gives an honest glimpse into the brutal facts of child labor without becoming maudlin.
reviewed by Victoria
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by Katharine BolingJanuary 1905 is the story of ten-year-old twins, Pauline and Arlene. The girls are born into a family that works in a textile mill in 1905. Arlene is born with a club foot and stays home to do the family’s cooking and cleaning, while Pauline works 12 hour shifts in the mill. Each sister envies the other, imagining that her twin has the easier lot in life. When a mill accident injures Pauline, Arlene must go to work in the mill in her place. The twins learn to appreciate each other’s contribution to the family. They scrimp to pool their meager earnings to buy a set of jacks. The book gives an honest glimpse into the brutal facts of child labor without becoming maudlin.reviewed by Victoria
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