Workhouse by Pamela Oldfield
Workhouse is the gripping tale of a girl drawn into the world of a Victorian workhouse. It's January 1871 when Edith, the sheltered daughter of a wealthy widow, pays her first eventful visit to the workhouse for the poor. There she meets Rosie, a rebellious, quick-tempered orphan who is always getting into trouble. Edith soon finds herself drawn into Rosie's wild schemes and both their lives are never the same again...