Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama

New England had its textile factories where young women came to work while living in communal quarters and China had a comparable situation brought alive in Tsukiyama's novel. Its heroine, Pei, was placed at age eight in a home for girls who worked in a silk factory. Feeling cruelly abandoned by her parents, Pei made the adjustment to her new home and long hours in the factory. Her kindness brought her friends and her competence led to promotion. However, the time is 1919-1938; communism is rising and the Japanese are invading the country and eventually the political and military turmoil have an impact on the lives of the factory girls.