Set against a backdrop of murder, intrigue, and industrial labor
conflict in the early twentieth century pearl button industry, Shell
Games graphically portrays one of the most important battles in the
fight for safe and humane working conditions. Filtered through the
thoughts and emotions of Pearl McGill, a woman who stood heroically
against the injustices destroying the lives of so many around her in the
shops and factories, this conflict vividly comes to life and underscores
many of the concerns contemporary workers still encounter.