The Turned-About Girls

by Beulah Marie Dix

"The Turned-About Girls" by Beulah Marie Dix is a fictional children's novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around two girls, Jacqueline and Caroline, who find themselves on a train journey to unfamiliar lives that will challenge their identities and test their resourcefulness. The characters, both around the age of eleven, are brought together by chance and decide to switch places, leading to humorous and heartwarming misadventures. The opening of the novel introduces the two main characters, Jacqueline and Caroline, as they embark on a train journey to Boston. Jacqueline, dressed elegantly and exuding a confident demeanor, contrasts sharply with the shy and modest Caroline. As they observe each other from afar, they eventually strike up a conversation that reveals their shared feelings of apprehension about their respective futures. Jacqueline, driven by a sense of adventure, concocts a plan to switch clothes and identities, so Caroline can avoid the intimidating prospect of staying with her new relatives. This introduces readers to the themes of friendship and identity while setting up the amusing premise of the girls' fateful decision that will shape the narrative to come.