What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

This was a novel about a teenage girl who is orphaned (in Paris, I think) and the only thing she has left is the adress of her estranged grandfather, who owns a fabric factory. She does not contact the grandfather for some reason, but starts working in the factory. She becomes very savvy, repairing and living in an empty hut and making her own shoes out of reed. In the end she meets her grandfather and they live happily ever after.
It is set during the industrial revolution methinks and was definitely set in France. I think the author was French too.
I read the book in the early nineties, but it was a hand-me-down, so it may have been a lot older. It might also fit into the YA section.

Nobody's Girl by Hector Malot?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96...

Were there any paranormal elements to it? Or was it a straight historical type book?

Kris, you must be a magician! That's the book. I have been searching for it for years, it was such an influential book in my teens. How did you know it?

I will move it to Solved now, Ann.

Nathalia, I'm glad you found your book. Locating books by non-English authors can be rather tricky sometimes. I got lucky using Google.

Google.com > site:amazon.com orphan grandfather factory paris

Then I searched Goodreads for Hector Malot and Nobody's Girl / En Famille.

Ah, it seems I used the wrong search words all along. Thankyou again. I am already reading...