This was a very emotional read, and very informative. The Great Depression is an era of history in which I have always been interested so I was very eager to read this book. Young Eunice, at the tender age of 10, finds herself working in a New York seat shop, working in the place of her her brother, forced to bring her paltry wages home to her alcoholic parents as her brother can no longer work due to Eunice injuring him in a sibling argument. Life there is hard and at first she is terrified but she's taken under the ample wing of Gussie, the biggest woman she has ever seen. Unfortunately when she is just 16 years of age she find herself to be in the family way and her domineering, authoritative and abusive father forces her to marry the father of the child. This proves to lead to another dark era in the young woman's life. She doesn't give up thought despite the heartbreak she faces we learn some surprising truths along the way. This is a great read, one I highly recommend.

Set in 1930s New York City, America is reeling from the Great Depression. Jobs are scarce and people are desperate. Young Eunice Ritter's parents are alcoholics and Eunice longs for escape. She is very determined and though only ten years old waits and waits for a job at the sweat shop near her and will take anything. She works with Gussie in the laundry sorting room and they become fast friends. The job is hard, the hours long but it's better than home life. She has accidentally injured her brother and knows danger. At the age of sixteen she is pregnant and forced to marry a man she despises. She makes poor decisions after that. Years later we see the results of those decisions and of a hard life.

When reading the blurb for this book I was enthused to read it but found it lacking in some indescribable way. Surprisingly, I did not feel an emotional connection with the characters. But we are all different and I can see how many could become attached. My favourite aspect is the description of the sorting jobs...very interesting. And I could almost taste the despair which hung in the air. I just didn't fall in love.

My sincere thank you to SparkPress and NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I read this book in one afternoon. It starts out in the sorting room of a laundry during the depression. The word drudgery was invented to describe the kind of work that was done by our heroine, Eunice. She had gumption and at 10 years insisted on being given a job at an industrial laundry. She was put into the sorting room (sorting linens that came from sanitariums and hospitals). Those that hired her bet that she wouldn’t stay more than 15 minutes without puking. She proved herself by staying, demanding her pay and working into a supervisor position. At work, she made friends and enemies. This book takes you from depression era to the 1960’s where you will read of strong-willed Eunice, born to a family of drunkards and made to marry a man who raped her. Eye opening and interesting book for those times.

The Sorting Room packs a punch right from beginning. When tough, wiry, ten-year old Eunice beats the boys at their game and takes all the marbles, great expectations are set. "Are you sure you're a girl? You don't play like a girl" sets Eunice apart and establishes that this kid can lick whatever's coming her way.

What is coming her way is a hard life. Her determination and perseverance get her a job in a large industrial laundry service in the 1920's, long before conscience and laws affected child labor. Eunice isn't just plucky; she's smart and hard-working, qualities admired and rewarded by her employer. Their association endures for years.

There are any number of characters whose presence in Eunice's life provide interludes, yet not life-changing effects. Gussie, her mentor in the sorting room and perhaps the only friend in her life, and Joseph, the father of her twin sons, give some sense of purpose to life for Eunice, but neither of them becomes part of her. There is no appreciable, sustainable attachment between them.

The Sorting Room a compelling story, worth reading and contemplating. It will resonate because it is familiar, on some level, for most of us. With some clever weaving of the major themes, this story has the potential for a really meaningful movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy and for the opportunity to share my honest thoughts and opinion.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"In Prohibition-era New York City, Eunice Ritter, an indomitable ten-year-old girl, finds work in a sweat shop—an industrial laundry."

An interesting hard life story of Eunice growing up in an era of child labor and sweat shops. I would liked to have read more of that history and its references built into the story.

3.75☆

An interesting story that starts with the main character, Eunice, at ten years old who works in a laundry pre-depression era. From the beginning she is a force to be reckoned with and the way the author presents her, you find yourself hardening along with her as her life progresses. At times I wanted more, specifically to her relationship or lack thereof, with Joseph as it seemed the story just jumped over it. The author also gives a good backstory to JP and Joseph but then they kind of fall to the wayside. I loved the fact that part of the story takes place in Rochester (where I live) and references Geneva, Waterloo and Canandaigua. I knew the author had to have lived here at one time. The book will keep you wanting to know how it ends. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading about the struggles and trials of Eunice and how she earns her place in the workplace through sheer hard work and determination, the struggles she faces with her family and husband and the heartbreak of one of her twins being snatched.
A well written and emotional read that I could not put down