What are some quotes that describe Lyddie?

Lyddie is the main character in the story.  She is a very strong and independent individual.  Her personality is characterized by both of these strengths—her physical strength and her strength of personality.

Physically, Lyddie is strong but not big.  She is thirteen years old when the book begins, just starting to be a woman.  She is poor, and her clothing reflects that.

Lyddie was aware … that she had no bonnet and that her hair and braids were dusty from the road. She crossed her arms, trying to cover her worn brown homespun with the gunnysack. The dress was tight across her newly budding chest, and it hung unevenly to just above her ankles in a ragged hem. (Ch. 3)

Since Lyddie is young and small, people sometimes underestimate her. She doesn't have money.  What she does have is perseverance.  When something gets her down, she works harder and she is dedicated to her dream of getting her family back together on the farm.

She must earn all the money to pay what they owed so she could gather her family together back on the farm while she still had family left to gather. The idea of living alone and orphaned and without brother or sister … (Ch. 12)

Lyddie’s family has been separated since her father left when she was nine years old.  Her mother was never right after her youngest sister was born, and her father could not make the farm work.  Lyddie became the adult in the household.  She took care of everyone.  Even after her family was separated, she wanted nothing more than to bring everyone back together again.

Lyddie is extremely successful at the factory.  She becomes very proficient, adding more and more machines.  She does get hurt once, and gets sick once, but in general she does very well.

"One of our best girls,"

Mr. Marsden said, beaming. "One of our very best." (Ch. 12)

Lyddie can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.  She is dedicated, hard-working, and goal-oriented.  She also values family over almost anything.  Even though Lyddie cannot get her family together, she did everything she could to make it happen.