In Lyddie, why does Lyddie's family leave the farm? How is life different after Lyddie's mother leaves, and what are things like for Lyddie in the...

's father
walks out on the family, which leads to his abandoned wife going insane. As one can imagination,
these traumatic events place an enormous emotional and financial strain upon the family. With
her mother in a mental institution and her father nowhere to be found, Lyddie is forced to step
up to the plate. She has no choice but to go out into the big, wide world to earn enough money
to support her family.

Her first port of call is Cutler's Tavern, where she
works as a housemaid. It's a paying job, but the wages and conditions are lousy. Lyddie has to
get up at the crack of dawn each day to put in a sixteen-hour (!) shift. It's hard,
back-breaking toil, and poor Lyddie never gets a moment to herself. To make matters worse, her
boss, Mrs. Cutler, is a mean woman who watches Lyddie like a hawk all day long, ready to pounce
on the slightest mistake. She also doesn't trust Lyddie, thinking that she'll steal at the drop
of a hat unless she's under constant surveillance.