ABANDONED. A girl goes to work in a factory during the industrial revolution. Her friend gets her scalp ripped off.

[Autumn]

I think it may have been written for younger teens.

[Natasha]

Joanna by Jane Claypool Miner has a young woman working in a textile factory in Lowell in the 1830s. Although she doesn't have a friend who is scalped by a machine, she's told a story about this happening to a girl, who has her hair caught in a machine and is scalped. This is told to her as a warning and she's taught how to pin her hair up tight.



Do you remember how long ago you read this?

[``Laurie]

maybe?

[Andi]

Turn Homeward, Hannalee has a girl working in a mill; it's been a long time since I read it though so I don't know if anybody gets her scalp ripped off...

[Elizabeth]

I know that in one of the Samantha American Girl books, her friend Nellie talks about a girl who got her scalp ripped off when her hair got caught in a machine.

[Kris]

Elizabeth might be thinking of Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story by Susan S. Adler. Here's a Goodreads review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Autumn]

The scalping was defiantely a part of the story. The main character was present for it and the scene was pretty graphic. I think that's why I remember it.

[Krista]

I feel like I remember one of the characters working in a mill in the Beyond the Western Sea books by Avi, but not sure if that would be it.

[Kris]

"Beyond the Western Sea" series by Avi for Krista's suggestion - https://www.goodreads.com/series/6145...

[Rebekah]

I know I have read a book where that happens as part of the story. I'm pretty sure it was So Far From Home: the Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1847 but I don't have the book to look through it, and it's been a long time since I read it. If you are thinking of the same story I am, the friend had beautiful black hair, and was rather vain about it, so she never listened to people advising her to keep her hair up.

[Autumn]

It's definately not the Western Sea books. The character was seperated from her family and there was no significant boat stuff.

[Tab]

Autumn, can you give more details on the plot of the book?

How many years ago did you read this book?
What part of the country does the story take place?
Part of a series?
Anything about the cover?

[Jenna]

I also thought of "So Far From Home" as mentioned above.

[Holly]

Autumn, maybe check out this list of kids' textile mill fiction?

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

I'm also wondering if it might be So Far From Home: the Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1847, though.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Autumn, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Rainbowheart]

Still looking, Autumn?

[Jess]

Sounds a bit like Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs.

[Shelby]

In case anyone is still curious, I’m almost positive OP is talking about Torn Thread. I found this page when I googled the exact same description. I was pretty sure it had thread in the title, and when I saw the comment above I recognized it. So thank you!

[Kris]

Note: Autumn (OP) was last active on the site in January 2019.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Autumn, are you still looking for this or did you find it?"

No response. Moving to Abandoned.