The entire story centers around Rebecca's relatives working at a sweatshop, and how terrible the conditions are there. Rebecca's relationship to this problem becomes very serious when the workers at the shop go on strike, and she sees just how much power the big fat-cat owners have as they bring in hired goons to physically attack the strikers. The police arrive and they, also, support the owners, arresting the strikers.
Rebecca herself becomes directly involved and is injured for her effort. Also, a secret she had been hiding from her parents becomes a secret no longer.
This is a very, very serious story about the inhuman working conditions that many people, especially immigrants, had to suffer under. The historical section of the book has more on this.
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