The answer to this question can be found in chapter 11. The chapter begins by telling readers that Lyddie is starting to settle into the routines and rhythms of factory life. She hums to herself, and she is even starting to look forward to spending time with her fellow housemates and being able to read Oliver Twist. We are told that the days melt into weeks, and eventually Lydie and Betsy have read the entire book. This occurs just before July, and three of the girls are making plans to go home. Lyddie wishes that she could go too, but her contract is for a full year. If she leaves, she'll be fired and blacklisted. Lyddie comforts herself with the knowledge that she will likely be able to earn more money. The factory will be shorthanded, and Lyddie assumes that she'll take on another loom. The summer turns out to be quite warm and Lyddie purchases a lighter weight dress and begins teaching herself to read Oliver Twist. She works 13-hour days but she has her room to herself for reading. Lyddie eventually begins copying pages of the book and pasting them to her looms in order to read at work. She also attends church infrequently because she isn't being held as accountable as she was before the summer.
During the summer, most of the girls at the factory go home. But Lyddie is required to stay and work under the relevant provisions of her contract. Nevertheless, she makes the most of a bad situation. Betsy has been reading to her from Oliver Twist, and this has kindled Lyddie's interest in reading and learning. Lyddie checks the book out of the lending library. At first, she struggles to read it, but gradually and with much hard work and application, she begins to improve both her reading and spelling skills. Lyddie's experience of reading encourages her to dream of attending Oberlin College in Ohio, an institution of higher education for women. That summer proves to be a significant turning point in Lyddie's life, one which leads directly to her finally achieving her dreams.
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