Common Sense and a Little Fire, Second Edition

Focusing on the lives of four immigrant women activists, this book highlights their significant yet overlooked contributions to American politics and social movements. Annelise Orleck explores their journeys from Eastern Europe to New York's Lower East Side, detailing their involvement in labor organization, the New Deal, and the women's movement. Through vivid accounts of protests, factory conditions, and community solidarity, the narrative underscores the impact of these women's activism on shaping modern labor rights and women's suffrage.