While at first glance Lyddie may appear to be little more than a reworking of the diaries kept by factory workers in Concord, Massachusetts, it is a complex book which can be read on several levels. On one level, it is an adventure-accomplishment romance, a sort of realistic hero tale about a poor girl who rescues herself with hard work and the aid of various "godmothers."

Like heroes of myths and legend, Lyddie struggles against monsters (bears and giant mechanical shuttles), aided by her courage and intelligence, as well as various mentors. The book is also an effective historical novel, a believable story which communicates the nature of factory life through interesting characters.

Lyddie is also a consciously literary work, using symbols and literary allusions to help develop its ideas. The book clearly parallels Dickens's Oliver Twist, one of the books Lyddie reads.

The protagonists of...