A story that spans generations and goes through an emotional roller coaster. We have multiple issues being talked about including racism, employment equality and parental neglect.

I enjoyed reading this book but started struggling about half way through. Eunice who is the main character advances from young mother to grandmother and Marie who is her daughter-in-law becomes the narrator. The last part of the story was somewhat confusing. Still, it was a decent read.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

This started off very well, I was intrigued and interested in Eunice and her life, her daily struggles and her family relationships. Her work ethic was something to admire, despite the reasons she had to work to begin with. Her friendship with Guss was refreshing and I really appreciate how their dynamic worked out. But then we get to about the halfway point of the book and all of a sudden, the timeline jumps 20-30yrs, we're introduced to a whole new cast of characters (the next generation of Eunice's family) and I couldn't care less. I didn't see the logic or reasoning for writing the book in such a manner, it makes no sense because it just disrupts the reader, almost jostling them onto another track and they can't quite get their bearings. In fact, they don't want to, because they're no longer immersed in the story. The editor needs to step up their game - this technique of "time jumping" damn near ruined a perfect book. I couldn't finish. 3 stars.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 🧡

I loved this book to begin with but struggled when the story skipped on 30 years and the young girl was suddenly a grandmother. The narrator of the story became Eunice's daughter in law, which was initially a little confusing. I kept reading hoping I could reconnect but sadly I didn't feel the same way about the new set of characters which were introduced half way through..

I would read another by Michael Rose as the first part of the book was so enjoyable and the characters so likeable.

Eunice, 10 years old, finds herself working in an industrial laundry sorting room. The hard work, coupled with her alcoholic parents make for a hard life in depression era New York. Struggling to survive, Eunice must overcome so much to make a life for herself. Poignant and well written.

This was the first book I have ever read by this author. I enjoyed reading it. I felt immersed in the story. Will be looking out to other books by this author in the future. Definitely recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Sorting Room" and all opinions expressed are my own. The was an interesting story that I hadn't been aware of. I did like learning about the historical aspect of the story. It seem to jump around a bit but overall good.

Eunice , a spirit lifted by providence and a willing employer of children. Eunice had hoped this job would be he way out of the slums. Her family had other plans. Family a word that came for Eunice just when her footing was solid, came for her with a wink and rogue’s smile ; trapped her to a life without comfort or solace. Her story is told with insight into lives where father’s control till husbands control where your dreams die.

I enjoyed reading this book but there definitely is a disconnect about half way through. Eunice who is the main character advances from young mother to grandmother and Marie who is her daughter-in-law becomes the narrator. The last part of the story was somewhat confusing but still a good read.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book started out very well. I was immediately absorbed by the story of this young girl, her dysfunctional family, and her incredible work ethic. The author created the sorting room's atmosphere such that I could see the place and the workers. Unfortunately, the odor also figuratively emanated from the pages. The relationship between Eunice and Gussie was well developed and enjoyable. I was rooting for Eunice to succeed.
Then the expected happened. Pun intended. I was disappointed. Why does every down-trodden female character have to get pregnant? Maybe that is what happened to many of them. This was the turning point in the story; not just in Eunice's fictional life, but in the plot of the novel. As Eunice's 1920s life continued, the book remained reasonably good.
Suddenly, the storyline skipped ahead by 30 years and I was in a car with the next generation of Eunice's family, or at least, that's who I assumed they were. This discontinuity was completely unexpected and disjointed. For me, it was too abrupt. Figuring out the relationships between all of these new characters was not intriguing; it was annoying. I did not care about them. I cared about Eunice and Gussie. The interactions between these people amounted to the tedious rambling banter of their everyday lives. Maybe it was intended to show that the next generation was poisoned by the drunken father and the mother's bad choices at 16 years old. It just became too pathetic. And I don't even want to think about poor Eunice's pitiful end.
This book was more depressing than it had to be. I'm not really sure what the author was trying to prove. If she wanted to write something miserably depressing and seemingly pointless, mission accomplished. Then it just ended. I wasn't sorry the book ended, but it had no meaningful conclusion. My advice: once you hit the glaring discontinuity, stop reading. Don't bother going any further. It simply is not worth the time and emotional investment.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

Eunice was quite the leading character in this book! Strong-willed and independent, she was determined to make something of herself at a young age and not follow in the footsteps of her drunken parents. She repeatedly inquired about work at the industrial laundry shop, and when she was finally given a chance, she not only succeeded but excelled at a position that not many people could stand to endure.

On her sixteenth birthday, Eunice becomes pregnant and is forced into a loveless marriage. The years pass by and a lapse in judgement one fateful night leaves her with a lifetime of loneliness and regret. But history never stays silent, and Eunice must face reality before it’s too late.

I enjoyed reading this for the most part, but once I reached Part 2, I felt like I was starting an entirely different story. I immediately disliked this cold, careless version of Eunice. Don’t get me wrong, I know she had a hard life, but the way she treated Henry, who was innocent in all of this, was awful. I do think she redeemed herself a bit by the end, but the whole situation and the way she handled it from the beginning left a bitter taste in my mouth.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4249136630

The Sorting Room
Michael Rose

Description:
"In Prohibition-era New York City, Eunice Ritter, an indomitable ten-year-old girl, finds work in a sweat shop—an industrial laundry—after impairing her older brother with a blow to the head in a sibling tussle. When the diminutive girl first enters the sorting room, she encounters a giant: Gussie, the largest human being she has ever seen.

Gussie, a powerful, hard-working woman, soon becomes Eunice’s mentor and sole friend as she finds herself entrapped in the laundry’s sorting room by the Great Depression, sentenced to bring her low wages home to her alcoholic parents as penance for her childhood mistake. Then, on her sixteenth birthday, Eunice becomes pregnant and her drunken father demands that the culprit marry his daughter, trapping her anew—this time in a loveless marriage, along with a child she never wanted. Within a couple of years, Eunice makes a grave error and settles into a lonely life of drudgery that she views as her own doing. She spends decades in virtual solitude before her secret history is revealed to those from whom she has withheld her love.

An epic family saga, The Sorting Room is a captivating tale of a woman’s struggle and perseverance in faint hopes of reconciliation, if not redemption."

Review:
Debut novel that left me guessing!

The author had me invested in tragic Eunice Ritter from the start - alcoholic parents, teenage pregnancy, loveless marriage, a "lonely life of drudgery" working in an industrial laundry - then left me hanging! What exactly did Eunice do to her brother? Did Uli die at the farm? What happened after the baby was kidnapped? All those years with no explanation. How did Joseph know about Eunice's death? Why didn't they kill JP? So many unanswered questions. Good character development, especially Gussie and David Welles, but they could have been so much more!

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Excellent, moving first novel from an author with a long career and life in finance. Impressive debut, inspiring authorship, and look forward to the next one.

Set in New York City during the Great Depression, jobs are scarce and people will do just about anything to make some extra money. Eunice is a 10-year-old girl with alcoholic parents and all she can do is think about how she can escape the current life she is living. She gets a job with the Gussie in the laundry sorting room and they become great friends. Even though the job is extremely hard, it is better than the life she is living at home. The book walks through all of her poor decisions that she makes during her life.

I truly felt for Eunice in the book, but I had a hard time connecting to any of the other characters. She made so many poor decisions but I found myself just wanting to shake her and wanting her to do better. I did enjoy learning about her job in the sorting room, but it wasn’t about that I just fell in love with.

Thank you to Netgalley, Spark Press and Michael Rose for allowing me this arc copy in e-book form to review.
Prohibition/depression era, New York City, the story leads a sad trail through a family saga. Eunice learns some hard life lessons working in a laundry factory. Her mentor is a black lady, Gussie, who takes her under her wing and shows her how to make the best of her situation. When Eunice finds herself in a terrible situation, and has to make heartbreaking decisions, she reaches deep into the depths of her soul and finds strength to make hard decisions with the help of Gussie. Unbeknownst to both Eunice and Gussie, those decisions will have domino effects on the lives of the ones she loves throughout years to come. I enjoyed how the story depicted strong women in desperate situations. If I had to criticize any one thing, it would be the language used in the book. It's pretty strong foul language and for that reason I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 5.

I was hesitant to request this novel. Any time a male author is writing a predominantly female driven story I take pause. And this time rightfully so. There is no connection between the author and the experiences of the women he writes about. Small male side characters are given more emotional depth than the protagonist herself. The entire book has the emotional depth of a children's book. See Dick run, see dick jump. You constantly see the characters put in what should be emotionally complex situations and instead get Event A happened so she did this next. No emotional response, no character growth, just a shallow external narrative describing the day.

And if these things and the horrible representation of women wasn't enough, there are so many culturally and racially insensitive tropes through out the book that are just flat out unnecessary and offensive. I genuinely don't recommend this book.

A book of two halves, set in post-depression New York. In the first half we meet Eunice, a determined 10-year-old (I still have problems with the moniker “spunky” - call me old-fashioned) who manages to bagsy a job in the sorting room. Nope, not at the post office, but at a contract laundry company. It’s hard, disgusting work, but the reader gets a real feel/sniff of what life was like back then. Eunice’s character and that of her friend Gussie shine.
In the second half, we revisit Eunice as a Grandma. The main voice has shifted to her daughter-in-law Marie, but the narrative starts to lag. Add flashbacks to the past and that subsequent family members are bearing the same first name and it all becomes a bit confusing.

The story of Eunice Ritter from her at 10 years old in the 1920s, living in the depression era with uncaring parents, through her story as a wife and mother and ending with her life as a grandmother. Life was hard for Eunice but she was a strong character who lived as best she could. An emotional and enjoyable read.

From the time she is 10 years old, Eunice is set up to live a hard life of struggle. Bearing the burden of her father’s alcoholism, her brother’s injury and her mother’s inability to help, Eunice takes matters into her own hands and begins work at a dry cleaners. After being raped on her 16th birthday and ending up pregnant, she’s forced to marry her rapist. A long life of struggles and pain follow.

A really interesting and original concept for a fiction book.
I totally fell in love with the characters and just couldn’t wait to see how it ended.
3.5 stars.