Call number
Collection
Publication
William Morrow (2017), 278 pages
Description
Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to 'aging out' out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life -- answers that will ultimately free them both.
User reviews
LibraryThing member rosalita
In the late 1920s, a young Irish girl is orphaned when the rest of her family dies in a New York City tenement fire. She is among thousands of such abandoned children who were rounded up and put onto "orphan trains" that took them to new homes in the Midwest and elsewhere.
It all sounds so wholesome
Before reading this book, I had heard of the "orphan trains" that transported orphaned or abandoned children from New York and other Eastern cities to the Midwest, to be taken in by families. I hadn't realized how long the trains rain (from the mid-19th century through the first three decades of the 20th), or that hundreds of thousands of children were involved. No one was vetting the people who took in children, and many of the orphans were abused or used as manual laborers rather than treated as members of the family.
Kline uses a modern-day storyline to compare and contrast Niamh's situation in the 1930s with that of Molly, a 21st century foster child who has had her own struggles to find a place within a family that does not want her except for the money the state pays them to keep her. Molly and Niamh meet when the young girl is sentenced to do community service by helping out the 91-year-old woman (renamed first Dorothy and then Vivian by her adoptive "families"). As Niamh/Vivian shares her story with Molly, the two bond over their shared abandonment.
Perhaps the easy rapport between the old woman and the young rebel was a bit less than convincing, and perhaps some of the supporting characters were a bit two-dimensional in their hero/villain statuses. I still found this story of finding and making a family from the people around you a sweetly enjoyable one.
It all sounds so wholesome
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— destitute orphans finding new families and better lives. Reality was rarely so rosy, as Christina Baker Kline's illustrates with her story of Niamh Power. Although Niamh is a fictional character, she is based on many first-person accounts of children who lived that experience. Kline does a good job of illustrating the widely varying situations that children found themselves in when their train reached the end of the line. "Happily ever after" wasn't the end result for most, or even the goal for the Children's Aid Society and other organizations who ran the program. Before reading this book, I had heard of the "orphan trains" that transported orphaned or abandoned children from New York and other Eastern cities to the Midwest, to be taken in by families. I hadn't realized how long the trains rain (from the mid-19th century through the first three decades of the 20th), or that hundreds of thousands of children were involved. No one was vetting the people who took in children, and many of the orphans were abused or used as manual laborers rather than treated as members of the family.
Kline uses a modern-day storyline to compare and contrast Niamh's situation in the 1930s with that of Molly, a 21st century foster child who has had her own struggles to find a place within a family that does not want her except for the money the state pays them to keep her. Molly and Niamh meet when the young girl is sentenced to do community service by helping out the 91-year-old woman (renamed first Dorothy and then Vivian by her adoptive "families"). As Niamh/Vivian shares her story with Molly, the two bond over their shared abandonment.
Perhaps the easy rapport between the old woman and the young rebel was a bit less than convincing, and perhaps some of the supporting characters were a bit two-dimensional in their hero/villain statuses. I still found this story of finding and making a family from the people around you a sweetly enjoyable one.
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LibraryThing member Whisper1
What a wonderful book! Telling the tale of two people, one older, another younger, yet both orphans who were woefully mistreated and remained strong and resilient, the author wove magic throughout the entire book.
Molly is 17 and was shuffled from one foster home to another. Made to feel a burden,
Now, she lives in a home wherein the male is nice to her, but henpecked and complacent when the wife makes it very obvious that Molly is a burden. She has lived in Maine her entire life. Finding it difficult to forge relationships and trust enough to make friends, changing schools and homes often, she is always perceived as trouble. When she has to complete 50 hours of community service, her only friend paves the way for her to help Vivian, an elderly woman living in a very large home, who needs to get the attic in order.
As she works with Vivian she soon learns that the elderly woman has held on to things from her past, even though some of the items resurrect bad memories. Like Molly, Vivian was made to feel unwanted and not welcomed.
Telling a fascinating piece of American history, as Molly tries to help Vivian go through the boxes of items, she listens to the stories and memories as each item is unpacked. And, soon learns that Vivian was a member of the orphans placed on trains and taken far across country.
Between the years of 1854 and 1929, orphans from the East were placed on trains carrying them to the Midwest. The Children's society stopped at designated areas wherein the children were inspected like cattle and taken into homes. All too often, they were used as indentured slaves, receiving no kindness, little, if any compassion, some where physically and emotionally abused were made to work for their bread.
As she now is over 90 years of age, Vivian is remembering the trip from Ireland to New York where her family lived in tenement housing. When a fire killed her family, she was shipped aboard the train. At that time in American history, Irish people were treated very poorly. Older than most on the train, her red hair, freckles, her heritage and age were all disadvantages.
The social agency was all too happy to place children, not particularly caring if they people who took in the children were suitable. The conditions for Vivian were woefully terrible as home after home she was mistreated and deemed unworthy. Finally, she landed in a home where the couple cared about her.
Well written, it was hard to put this book down. The author did a wonderful job of telling two separate tales and intersecting the lives so that in the end, the older and the younger became friends and developed a tender relationship.
Highly recommended.
Molly is 17 and was shuffled from one foster home to another. Made to feel a burden,
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she soon learned to mistrust and that most adults lie. As a young child, when her alcoholic father was killed in an auto accident, her already unstable mother, fell apart. Now, she lives in a home wherein the male is nice to her, but henpecked and complacent when the wife makes it very obvious that Molly is a burden. She has lived in Maine her entire life. Finding it difficult to forge relationships and trust enough to make friends, changing schools and homes often, she is always perceived as trouble. When she has to complete 50 hours of community service, her only friend paves the way for her to help Vivian, an elderly woman living in a very large home, who needs to get the attic in order.
As she works with Vivian she soon learns that the elderly woman has held on to things from her past, even though some of the items resurrect bad memories. Like Molly, Vivian was made to feel unwanted and not welcomed.
Telling a fascinating piece of American history, as Molly tries to help Vivian go through the boxes of items, she listens to the stories and memories as each item is unpacked. And, soon learns that Vivian was a member of the orphans placed on trains and taken far across country.
Between the years of 1854 and 1929, orphans from the East were placed on trains carrying them to the Midwest. The Children's society stopped at designated areas wherein the children were inspected like cattle and taken into homes. All too often, they were used as indentured slaves, receiving no kindness, little, if any compassion, some where physically and emotionally abused were made to work for their bread.
As she now is over 90 years of age, Vivian is remembering the trip from Ireland to New York where her family lived in tenement housing. When a fire killed her family, she was shipped aboard the train. At that time in American history, Irish people were treated very poorly. Older than most on the train, her red hair, freckles, her heritage and age were all disadvantages.
The social agency was all too happy to place children, not particularly caring if they people who took in the children were suitable. The conditions for Vivian were woefully terrible as home after home she was mistreated and deemed unworthy. Finally, she landed in a home where the couple cared about her.
Well written, it was hard to put this book down. The author did a wonderful job of telling two separate tales and intersecting the lives so that in the end, the older and the younger became friends and developed a tender relationship.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member jnwelch
"Molly learned long ago that a lot of the heartbreak and betrayal that other people fear their entire lives, she has already faced. Father dead. Mother off the deep end. Shuttled around and rejected time and time again. And still she breathes and sleeps and grows taller. She wakes up every morning
Molly, half Penobscot Indian, is a frustrated and mistreated foster child shuttled from home to home. When she gets caught stealing from the library an old, neglected copy of her beloved Jane Eyre, she ends up having to do community service with 91 year old Vivian, helping her clear out the attic of her Maine mansion. Except Vivian isn't some wealthy ditz, but a tough woman whose early experiences were much like Molly's. Born Niamh ("Neeve") in Ireland, Vivian came across with her family as a young girl with hopes of a better life in New York. Instead she was given up to the Orphan Train, ending up being fostered in small town Minnesota. The Orphan Train really existed in the U.S. for more than 70 years, starting in the 1850s, with the children on it simply claimed by adult couples in Midwestern stops. The result for the children often was the equivalent of feudal servitude.
Vivian, claimed around the time of the Great Depression, was free child labor for dressmaking in her first home, and things didn't get better in her next one, until a kind teacher intervened and her prospects improved. Molly suffered similar modern day neglect and abuse, but finds her outlook changing the more she gets to know Vivian. Vivian was a good girl. "And so it is that you learn how to pass, if you're lucky, to look like everyone else, even though you're broken inside.” Molly is rebellious, and uses her aggressive goth persona to shut people out. But the more she learns about Vivian's past, the more she is drawn to her. “You can’t find peace until you find all the pieces. She wants to help Vivian find some kind of peace, elusive and fleeting as it may be.” It turns out that Vivian has a tragic secret, as to which she never expected to receive help.
This is a beautifully written book that switches back and forth between the experiences of Vivian in Depression times and Molly today. Kline captures both characters vividly, as both have to grow up too fast and overcome impoverished and exploitive environments. Early in the book Vivian talks about how hard it is to find anyone who truly understands what she has been through, and who she is. That she finds such a person late in life in Molly, and Molly finds unexpected hope in knowing her, is rewarding for the reader as well. Many thanks to my wife for recommending this one. Four and one-half stars.
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and puts on clothes. So when she says it's okay, what she means is that she knows she can survive just about anything."Molly, half Penobscot Indian, is a frustrated and mistreated foster child shuttled from home to home. When she gets caught stealing from the library an old, neglected copy of her beloved Jane Eyre, she ends up having to do community service with 91 year old Vivian, helping her clear out the attic of her Maine mansion. Except Vivian isn't some wealthy ditz, but a tough woman whose early experiences were much like Molly's. Born Niamh ("Neeve") in Ireland, Vivian came across with her family as a young girl with hopes of a better life in New York. Instead she was given up to the Orphan Train, ending up being fostered in small town Minnesota. The Orphan Train really existed in the U.S. for more than 70 years, starting in the 1850s, with the children on it simply claimed by adult couples in Midwestern stops. The result for the children often was the equivalent of feudal servitude.
Vivian, claimed around the time of the Great Depression, was free child labor for dressmaking in her first home, and things didn't get better in her next one, until a kind teacher intervened and her prospects improved. Molly suffered similar modern day neglect and abuse, but finds her outlook changing the more she gets to know Vivian. Vivian was a good girl. "And so it is that you learn how to pass, if you're lucky, to look like everyone else, even though you're broken inside.” Molly is rebellious, and uses her aggressive goth persona to shut people out. But the more she learns about Vivian's past, the more she is drawn to her. “You can’t find peace until you find all the pieces. She wants to help Vivian find some kind of peace, elusive and fleeting as it may be.” It turns out that Vivian has a tragic secret, as to which she never expected to receive help.
This is a beautifully written book that switches back and forth between the experiences of Vivian in Depression times and Molly today. Kline captures both characters vividly, as both have to grow up too fast and overcome impoverished and exploitive environments. Early in the book Vivian talks about how hard it is to find anyone who truly understands what she has been through, and who she is. That she finds such a person late in life in Molly, and Molly finds unexpected hope in knowing her, is rewarding for the reader as well. Many thanks to my wife for recommending this one. Four and one-half stars.
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LibraryThing member mikeydrussell
I would never have picked up this book on my own, but it was chosen without my input as a monthly read for a book club I have just joined. I don't know how I will be able to participate in the discussion as I found the book to be juvenile in every sense--- poorly researched, poorly written,
I assume the author wrote it in a big hurry and didn't have a good editor (it was published only in paper, which may be an indicator) as it contains errors that could easily have been corrected--- Mrs. Scatcherd, representative of the Protestant and evangelical Christian Aid Society invokes"Mary, Mother of God" to begin her prayer to her orphan charges, Niamh- Dorothy- Vivian finds her Irish Catholic mother's "favorite psalm," 121, and reads out the King James Version text, people consume maple syrup"tapped" the day before, crocus spreads into a multicolored array. History is squashed into a mishmash of the Easter Rising of 1916, the orphan trains in their last year of existence, the Great Depression, World War II, Google, Native American history... characters are stock, pulled out of the grab bag used in poorly written Young Adult fiction. Our plucky heroines, the "goth" girl and the elegant old lady, roll right along and if they misbehave, it is only by taking a worn paperback copy of "Jane Eyre" from the library (by the way, what library puts an expensive theft control strip into a worn pb 3rd copy? And since when does setting off the alarm result in anything more than a warning?)
I hope someone somewhere has, or will, write a nice piece of historical fiction about the experience of the orphan trains. In the meantime, one will be better served by reading whatever nonfiction is available, or watching the PBS special, and leaving this book on the shelf.
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shallow, embarrassing for an adult to be "forced" to read.I assume the author wrote it in a big hurry and didn't have a good editor (it was published only in paper, which may be an indicator) as it contains errors that could easily have been corrected--- Mrs. Scatcherd, representative of the Protestant and evangelical Christian Aid Society invokes"Mary, Mother of God" to begin her prayer to her orphan charges, Niamh- Dorothy- Vivian finds her Irish Catholic mother's "favorite psalm," 121, and reads out the King James Version text, people consume maple syrup"tapped" the day before, crocus spreads into a multicolored array. History is squashed into a mishmash of the Easter Rising of 1916, the orphan trains in their last year of existence, the Great Depression, World War II, Google, Native American history... characters are stock, pulled out of the grab bag used in poorly written Young Adult fiction. Our plucky heroines, the "goth" girl and the elegant old lady, roll right along and if they misbehave, it is only by taking a worn paperback copy of "Jane Eyre" from the library (by the way, what library puts an expensive theft control strip into a worn pb 3rd copy? And since when does setting off the alarm result in anything more than a warning?)
I hope someone somewhere has, or will, write a nice piece of historical fiction about the experience of the orphan trains. In the meantime, one will be better served by reading whatever nonfiction is available, or watching the PBS special, and leaving this book on the shelf.
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LibraryThing member juniperSun
A compelling read, as much because you know this is based on actual events as because Niamh's story is well told. A 9 yr old immigrant from Ireland is orphaned during an apartment fire. She makes a friend with another boy as they are shipped from New York to the Midwest by a Foundling Home which
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will place them with whoever is willing to take them on. Unsurprisingly, they are taken in only to be worked as hard as possible and given as little food and care as possible. Life does eventually get better for them (and I wish I could believe this was so for all the real orphans). As young Molly gets to know the aging Niamh, and hears her life's story, Molly comes to terms with her own sense of abandonment from her years in foster homes. Show Less
LibraryThing member lrobe190
Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to 'aging out' out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she
A beautiful story about the orphan trains which ran from 1854-1929 carrying abandoned children from the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest. A little known fact about our country.
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and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life -- answers that will ultimately free them both.A beautiful story about the orphan trains which ran from 1854-1929 carrying abandoned children from the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest. A little known fact about our country.
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LibraryThing member TheTrueBookAddict
Everyone I've talked to loved this book. My mom read it first and she loved it. So did I. I think books like this should be required reading for over privileged kids who think they have it bad. (Hopefully) they will never know a life like the orphans, like Vivian, had in this book. It's difficult
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to imagine how few rights children had even as recently as the 1920s. This book examines, in a fictional account, the very real phenomenon of the orphan trains which operated from 1854 to 1929, transporting orphans to the Midwest states for adoption, but which usually amounted to indentured servitude. What Vivian experienced was so heartbreaking, never truly finding a family to love her, and where she felt she belonged, even when she did find a family who at least cared for her and took her in as their own. She finally finds true happiness, only to face tragedy again. I really liked how the author tied in the story of a modern day foster child who meets Vivian as an elderly lady and they form a strong bond of friendship through their shared orphan experience. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a poignant historical read, and who loves stories about the triumph of the human spirit. The tears it brought to my eyes several times showed me that this book really touched my soul. Show Less
LibraryThing member Alphawoman
This is the type of book that once you enter into the meat of it you say to yourself "oh joy". That is the feeling the sigh of enjoyment when you stumble on a great read as this.
Orphan Train will bring tears to your eyes as you learn Vivian's story.
A tale of two women separated by 75 years of age
A fantastic read, very few slow patches.
Orphan Train will bring tears to your eyes as you learn Vivian's story.
A tale of two women separated by 75 years of age
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but each which a similar story find each other and restore what is missing from their lives. A fantastic read, very few slow patches.
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LibraryThing member cyncie
What a beautifully written story, about a young Irish immigrant who loses her family shortly after arriving in America and is placed on an orphan train, to endure all sorts of hardships and trials and ultimately success and redemption. Her life story is one of tremendous heartbreak and fortitude
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and the parallel with a present-day foster teen and how their lives connect is a powerful one. A very worthwhile read. Show Less
LibraryThing member rgustafson
Poop! I put off reading this book...seemed like generic book club fiction. Well...I am trying to be a better "book club" member so I dived into it a couple of days ago. I was pleasantly surprised for several pages....so much so, that I fell into a trance and had to finish it. Arghhh...where to
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begin...the side characters are complete stereotypes and the ending really pissed me off in its simplicity. Sigh... Show Less
LibraryThing member AgneJakubauskaite
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Christina Baker Kline's novel "Orphan Train" juxtaposes two touching life stories of unlikely friends, a 17-year-old Penobscot Indian Molly and a rich 91-year-old widow Vivian. Although at first these two women seem to have little in common, their unenviable fates are not that
MY THOUGHTS:
1. On storyline:
Vivian’s recollections and the present day storyline were woven together masterfully, but I still felt like reading two separate books because the styles of each story were dramatically different. Vivian's story was very realistic, gripping and deeply moving, and I was impatient to return to it after the stories switched. Even though the present day storyline was still entertaining, I didn't connect with it that much as it seemed more artificial and better suited for a light read on a beach.
2. On writing:
The whole book is thoroughly researched, well written and flows effortlessly. Therefore, I was very surprised to come across such an obvious grammatical boo-boo as the following sentence: "Black makeup is smeared under her eyes like a football player." Hmm... can a football player be smeared under the eyes?
VERDICT: Although I really enjoyed this novel, I strongly preferred Vivian’s recollections of the orphan train days and would have been totally fine if the present day storyline was skipped altogether.
Christina Baker Kline's novel "Orphan Train" juxtaposes two touching life stories of unlikely friends, a 17-year-old Penobscot Indian Molly and a rich 91-year-old widow Vivian. Although at first these two women seem to have little in common, their unenviable fates are not that
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different: Molly grew up as a foster child, while Vivian was an orphan train rider. In addition to a fascinating story of courage, resilience and second chances, Baker Kline's book offers an insider's look at a significant but often overlooked figure in American history, so-called orphan trains, which between 1854 and 1929 "transported more than two thousand orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children from the costal cities of the Eastern United States to the Midwest for 'adoption,' which often turned out to be indentured servitude."MY THOUGHTS:
1. On storyline:
Vivian’s recollections and the present day storyline were woven together masterfully, but I still felt like reading two separate books because the styles of each story were dramatically different. Vivian's story was very realistic, gripping and deeply moving, and I was impatient to return to it after the stories switched. Even though the present day storyline was still entertaining, I didn't connect with it that much as it seemed more artificial and better suited for a light read on a beach.
2. On writing:
The whole book is thoroughly researched, well written and flows effortlessly. Therefore, I was very surprised to come across such an obvious grammatical boo-boo as the following sentence: "Black makeup is smeared under her eyes like a football player." Hmm... can a football player be smeared under the eyes?
VERDICT: Although I really enjoyed this novel, I strongly preferred Vivian’s recollections of the orphan train days and would have been totally fine if the present day storyline was skipped altogether.
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LibraryThing member Lisa2013
recommended by: Laura
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I don’t think it was perfect. I found it riveting from beginning to end. The writing is lyrical, the storytelling skillful, the characters compelling.
I liked the historical sections the most, but I fully warmed up to the
This is a wonderful story that shows the power of good and caring teachers, the positive influence of mentoring, and the healing that can occur when talking about one’s life story.
This is a novel for adults, but it often reads like a young adult or even a children’s novel. I would have enjoyed this book at ages 12 and 11, and maybe also at 10 and 9, but there are a few scenes many might think makes this a book for only readers 14 & up. I’d particularly recommend it to high school and college, and maybe middle school/jr. high, students who are inadequately cared for in any way and for foster youth and aged out foster kids.
This is a marvelous book for readers because there are 2 main characters who are both book lovers and readers. Fans of Anne of Green Gables and/or Jane Eyre (also orphan stories) will particularly appreciate these two characters. Anyone who enjoys orphan stories will probably appreciate this book.
I really liked that Molly identifies as and tries to be vegetarian.
I have to say that I wish that the adults in Vivian’s last home had made a different choice about her name.
Readers interested in genealogy and history will most likely appreciate this book.
The portaging project had particular meaning for me right now, and my guess is that it would have resonated for me as early as when I was 12, and many times throughout my life. Having such a project assigned in school is something I’d definitely have found helpful.
I’ve been reading tons of books that have characters who lead incredibly bleak and difficult lives. I guess writing about dire situations makes for good storytelling. What I don’t and didn’t like here is how, yet again, characters with horrific backgrounds with incredibly difficult lives and horrendous losses, somehow manage to end up well off and victorious and more adaptable than I’d expect as a common outcome. I guess stories about people who sink into failure and end up with as grim lives as does happen doesn’t make for an enjoyable novel, but if I could write I’d be tempted to write such a story anyway. I’m sure most readers would hate it but I know at least a small percentage of people would appreciate having it to read. So, especially toward the end, I found some of what happened too predictable, and that’s most of the reason for the half star off.
I was emotionally invested throughout, and deeply moved, but it wasn’t until the last 10 or so pages that my tears started flowing.
I loved the included extras in the paperback edition I read. The acknowledgements are particularly informative and show how much research went into writing the book. The PS section has information about the author, an interview with the author, a section about the real history of the orphan trains, that includes wonderful photos, and a reading group guide with discussion questions all contributed to the book.
I’m now interested in reading more about the orphan trains and about Maine’s Native Americans.
4 ½ stars
I can't decide between 4 and 5 stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I don’t think it was perfect. I found it riveting from beginning to end. The writing is lyrical, the storytelling skillful, the characters compelling.
I liked the historical sections the most, but I fully warmed up to the
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contemporary sections and thought how they were connected was brilliantly done.This is a wonderful story that shows the power of good and caring teachers, the positive influence of mentoring, and the healing that can occur when talking about one’s life story.
This is a novel for adults, but it often reads like a young adult or even a children’s novel. I would have enjoyed this book at ages 12 and 11, and maybe also at 10 and 9, but there are a few scenes many might think makes this a book for only readers 14 & up. I’d particularly recommend it to high school and college, and maybe middle school/jr. high, students who are inadequately cared for in any way and for foster youth and aged out foster kids.
This is a marvelous book for readers because there are 2 main characters who are both book lovers and readers. Fans of Anne of Green Gables and/or Jane Eyre (also orphan stories) will particularly appreciate these two characters. Anyone who enjoys orphan stories will probably appreciate this book.
I really liked that Molly identifies as and tries to be vegetarian.
I have to say that I wish that the adults in Vivian’s last home had made a different choice about her name.
Readers interested in genealogy and history will most likely appreciate this book.
The portaging project had particular meaning for me right now, and my guess is that it would have resonated for me as early as when I was 12, and many times throughout my life. Having such a project assigned in school is something I’d definitely have found helpful.
I’ve been reading tons of books that have characters who lead incredibly bleak and difficult lives. I guess writing about dire situations makes for good storytelling. What I don’t and didn’t like here is how, yet again, characters with horrific backgrounds with incredibly difficult lives and horrendous losses, somehow manage to end up well off and victorious and more adaptable than I’d expect as a common outcome. I guess stories about people who sink into failure and end up with as grim lives as does happen doesn’t make for an enjoyable novel, but if I could write I’d be tempted to write such a story anyway. I’m sure most readers would hate it but I know at least a small percentage of people would appreciate having it to read. So, especially toward the end, I found some of what happened too predictable, and that’s most of the reason for the half star off.
I was emotionally invested throughout, and deeply moved, but it wasn’t until the last 10 or so pages that my tears started flowing.
I loved the included extras in the paperback edition I read. The acknowledgements are particularly informative and show how much research went into writing the book. The PS section has information about the author, an interview with the author, a section about the real history of the orphan trains, that includes wonderful photos, and a reading group guide with discussion questions all contributed to the book.
I’m now interested in reading more about the orphan trains and about Maine’s Native Americans.
4 ½ stars
I can't decide between 4 and 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member Cariola
I'll start by admitting that I put off reading this book for quite some time. It just seemed like one of those overly hyped books targeted for women's book clubs. There were elements of that, but overall, I liked [The Orphan Train].
Molly is a girl in trouble. Already abandoned by her mother and
Despite her hard shell, Molly is a rather sensitive soul. Almost nothing is being discarded form the many dusty boxes in the attic, and Molly understands that for Vivian, the real purpose is simply to remove each object and consider its place in her memories. Like Molly, Vivian had a difficult childhood. When her parents, Irish immigrants who had settled in New York, and siblings were killed in a fire, she became one of the thousands of children rounded up by children's aid groups and sent west on trains to find new homes. Some would be adopted into loving families; more were taken in purely as free labor.
The novel alternates between Molly's and Vivian's stories. As these two seemingly disparate beings open up to one another, they discover that they have more in common than might be thought. And they help one another in unexpected ways.
The plot, involving each woman's story and the story of their friendship, is certainly an interesting one, particularly since Kline has done her research on the orphan trains that shuttled an estimated 200,000 children from eastern cities to rural locations in the Midwest. Kline adds a dose of humor here and there, and one has to admire her focus on her characters' resilience in the face of what could have been a very bleak tale.
Molly is a girl in trouble. Already abandoned by her mother and
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rejected by three foster homes, she's currently living with a kind but henpecked man and his bitchy, critical wife (who constantly lets it be known that she'd throw Molly out if she didn't like the monthly checks). She's a loner at school, except for her Dominican boyfriend Jack, and she embraces her isolation as she does her Goth identity. But Molly gets in trouble with the law for stealing, of all things, a dog-eared copy of [Jane Eyre] from the local library. Her punishment: 50 hours of community service. Jack's mother arranges for her to complete her penalty by helping her elderly employer, a woman named Vivian, clear out her attic.Despite her hard shell, Molly is a rather sensitive soul. Almost nothing is being discarded form the many dusty boxes in the attic, and Molly understands that for Vivian, the real purpose is simply to remove each object and consider its place in her memories. Like Molly, Vivian had a difficult childhood. When her parents, Irish immigrants who had settled in New York, and siblings were killed in a fire, she became one of the thousands of children rounded up by children's aid groups and sent west on trains to find new homes. Some would be adopted into loving families; more were taken in purely as free labor.
The novel alternates between Molly's and Vivian's stories. As these two seemingly disparate beings open up to one another, they discover that they have more in common than might be thought. And they help one another in unexpected ways.
The plot, involving each woman's story and the story of their friendship, is certainly an interesting one, particularly since Kline has done her research on the orphan trains that shuttled an estimated 200,000 children from eastern cities to rural locations in the Midwest. Kline adds a dose of humor here and there, and one has to admire her focus on her characters' resilience in the face of what could have been a very bleak tale.
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LibraryThing member varwenea
Loss – Experiencing loss so great that one chooses to never love again, beyond reason, to avoid going through that deep sense of loss ever again.
In Orphan Train, Vivian Daly and Molly Ayer are two strangers, 74 years apart, who unknowingly find solace and closure with each other’s support.
These fictional stories that leverage nuggets of true historical events tend to emit a sense of reality and anchor the story – so long as the rest of it isn’t too outrageous. As expected, the story of the past is the richer of the two. The present tense Molly arc is entirely predictable with a touch of contrive, namely her giving up her virginity to get a turtle tattoo at the age of 16 just so they can use turtle as a metaphor to describe the lonely orphan hiding in the shell. The Vivian arc is affecting; her thoughts were weighty and insightful. The brutality of two aforementioned households, the sufferings during the Depression, the cruelty as well as kindness of human nature, World War II – they all made me genuinely care about her and wish her happiness. Admittedly, both arcs were stretched to deliver extra punches, but I’ll let my sappy side give it a thumbs-up regardless.
Favorite Characters – Fanny and Miss Larsen – the kindly old seamstress at the first family’s business and the equally kind teacher of the second household who “rescued” Vivian (=Dorothy = Niamh) from the second family. I prefer to believe kind souls exist in this world.
Some Quotes:
On heaven:
“I’ve come to think that’s what heaven is – a place in the memory of others where our best selves live on.”
On America:
“We heard tales of oranges the size of baking potatoes; fields of grain waving under sunny skies; clean, dry timber houses with indoor plumbing and electricity. Jobs as plentiful as the fruit on the trees.”
On Immigration:
“My parents left Ireland in hopes of a brighter future, all of us believing we were on our way to a land of plenty. As it happened, they failed in this new land, failed in just about every way possible. It may have been that they were weak people, ill suited for the rigors of emigration, its humiliations and compromises, its competing demands of self-discipline and adventurousness.”
Vs. not leaving – a poem by Francis Fahy “Galway Bay”:
“Had I youth’s blood and hopeful mood and heart of fire once more,
For all the gold the world might hold I’d never quit your shore,
I’d live content whate’er God sent with neighbours old and gray,
And lay my bones ‘neath churchyard stones, beside you, Galway Bay.”
On being an orphan:
“It is a pitiful kind of childhood, to know that no one loves you is taking care of you, to always be on the outside looking in. I feel a decade older than my years. I know too much; I have seen people at their worst, at their most desperate and selfish, and this knowledge makes me wary. So I am learning to pretend, to smile and nod, to display empathy I do not feel. I am learning to pass, to look like everyone else, even though I feel broken inside.”
On being an adoptee:
“What I feel for the Nielsens – gratitude, respect, appreciation – isn’t the same as a child’s love for her parents, not quite… But I am also aware every day of how different I am from them. They are not my people, and never will be.”
On the fear of abandonment:
“In my nightmares I am alone on a train, heading into the wilderness. Or in a maze of hay bales. Or walking the streets of a big city, gazing at lights in every window, seeing the families inside, none of them mine.”
On loss – extreme loss:
“I am overcome with grief, with loss, with the stark misery of being alone.
I learned long ago that loss is not only probable but inevitable. I know what it means to lose everything, to let go of one life and find another. And now I feel, with a strange, deep certainty, that it must be my lot in life to be taught that lesson over and over again.”
On love – this made me sad (name removed below to avoid revealing plot):
“I did love him. But I did not love him like I loved xxx: beyond reason. Maybe you only get one of those in a lifetime, I don’t know. But it was all right. It was enough.”
In Orphan Train, Vivian Daly and Molly Ayer are two strangers, 74 years apart, who unknowingly find solace and closure with each other’s support.
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Both are orphans, both suffered deeply in their early years, both without an outlet, until they find in each other the unlikeliest of friendship that unlocks the painful memories of Vivian and frees the 17 year old Molly to be who she truly is, giving her back a chance of a genuine future. The dual stories of past and present interweaved in the pages. Vivian is Irish, immigrated to the U.S. during the famine, lost her family in a fire, and found herself on the orphan train looking for a family. After two horrific households, she settled down but her pain never quite ends. Molly’s dad died in an accident, and her mom lost herself in alcohol and drugs. Molly hid behind the Goth mask to protect herself in too many schools and foster families. The theft of a book, Jane Eyre, landed Molly in trouble, doing community services hours for the 91 year old Vivian. These fictional stories that leverage nuggets of true historical events tend to emit a sense of reality and anchor the story – so long as the rest of it isn’t too outrageous. As expected, the story of the past is the richer of the two. The present tense Molly arc is entirely predictable with a touch of contrive, namely her giving up her virginity to get a turtle tattoo at the age of 16 just so they can use turtle as a metaphor to describe the lonely orphan hiding in the shell. The Vivian arc is affecting; her thoughts were weighty and insightful. The brutality of two aforementioned households, the sufferings during the Depression, the cruelty as well as kindness of human nature, World War II – they all made me genuinely care about her and wish her happiness. Admittedly, both arcs were stretched to deliver extra punches, but I’ll let my sappy side give it a thumbs-up regardless.
Favorite Characters – Fanny and Miss Larsen – the kindly old seamstress at the first family’s business and the equally kind teacher of the second household who “rescued” Vivian (=Dorothy = Niamh) from the second family. I prefer to believe kind souls exist in this world.
Some Quotes:
On heaven:
“I’ve come to think that’s what heaven is – a place in the memory of others where our best selves live on.”
On America:
“We heard tales of oranges the size of baking potatoes; fields of grain waving under sunny skies; clean, dry timber houses with indoor plumbing and electricity. Jobs as plentiful as the fruit on the trees.”
On Immigration:
“My parents left Ireland in hopes of a brighter future, all of us believing we were on our way to a land of plenty. As it happened, they failed in this new land, failed in just about every way possible. It may have been that they were weak people, ill suited for the rigors of emigration, its humiliations and compromises, its competing demands of self-discipline and adventurousness.”
Vs. not leaving – a poem by Francis Fahy “Galway Bay”:
“Had I youth’s blood and hopeful mood and heart of fire once more,
For all the gold the world might hold I’d never quit your shore,
I’d live content whate’er God sent with neighbours old and gray,
And lay my bones ‘neath churchyard stones, beside you, Galway Bay.”
On being an orphan:
“It is a pitiful kind of childhood, to know that no one loves you is taking care of you, to always be on the outside looking in. I feel a decade older than my years. I know too much; I have seen people at their worst, at their most desperate and selfish, and this knowledge makes me wary. So I am learning to pretend, to smile and nod, to display empathy I do not feel. I am learning to pass, to look like everyone else, even though I feel broken inside.”
On being an adoptee:
“What I feel for the Nielsens – gratitude, respect, appreciation – isn’t the same as a child’s love for her parents, not quite… But I am also aware every day of how different I am from them. They are not my people, and never will be.”
On the fear of abandonment:
“In my nightmares I am alone on a train, heading into the wilderness. Or in a maze of hay bales. Or walking the streets of a big city, gazing at lights in every window, seeing the families inside, none of them mine.”
On loss – extreme loss:
“I am overcome with grief, with loss, with the stark misery of being alone.
I learned long ago that loss is not only probable but inevitable. I know what it means to lose everything, to let go of one life and find another. And now I feel, with a strange, deep certainty, that it must be my lot in life to be taught that lesson over and over again.”
On love – this made me sad (name removed below to avoid revealing plot):
“I did love him. But I did not love him like I loved xxx: beyond reason. Maybe you only get one of those in a lifetime, I don’t know. But it was all right. It was enough.”
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LibraryThing member Schmerguls
This novel tells of an Irish-born girl who comes to New York where she is in effect orphaned and then sent on a train to the Midwest in 1929 where she has several sets of foster "parents" after being exhibited as were slaves in the ante-bellum South. The story proceeds alternately in the Midwest
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and in 2011 Maine. It is a simply constructed novel but I found it extremely poignant at times even if, on reflection, maybe pretty obvious in the way it proceeds, reminding one of classic 19th-century novels like David Copperfield. I don't think it will win any upscale literary prize but one cannot help but be touched by some aspects of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member nomadreader
The basics: Orphan Train is the story of two women and their unlikely friendship (if you want to run for the hills at the beginning of that description--hear me out.) Molly is almost eighteen, which means she is almost aging out of the foster care system. Desperate to have her own copy of her
My thoughts: The reality of orphan trains depresses me. While I welcomed the chance to learn more about this dark part of U.S. history, I'm grateful Kline interspersed them with Molly's modern scenes. It also helped to know Vivian somehow not only survives but thrives. It would be easy for this story to come across as hokey, but Kline balances hope, the darkness of reality, and pain beautifully.
Admittedly, I was more captivated by Vivian's journey because it was so mysterious. As Vivian becomes a main character in the contemporary part of the story, I was thrilled. I'm fascinated by the wandering paths our lives take, and Vivian's is a majestic one.
The verdict: Orphan Train is an emotional read, and I sobbed through the last twenty pages. Kline makes the orphan train experience come alive through Vivian, and her joint portrayal of Molly's life in foster care is a sobering reality of how close we still are to that dark history.
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favorite book, she steals a copy of it from her school library. Her punishment is fifty hours of community service. Her boyfriend's mother, who works as a housekeeper for a 90-year-old-widow, arranges for Molly to help the woman, Vivian, go through the boxes in her attic. These boxes hold memories of the journeys of Vivian's life, when she was sent on the orphan train from New York City to Minnesota many years ago.My thoughts: The reality of orphan trains depresses me. While I welcomed the chance to learn more about this dark part of U.S. history, I'm grateful Kline interspersed them with Molly's modern scenes. It also helped to know Vivian somehow not only survives but thrives. It would be easy for this story to come across as hokey, but Kline balances hope, the darkness of reality, and pain beautifully.
Admittedly, I was more captivated by Vivian's journey because it was so mysterious. As Vivian becomes a main character in the contemporary part of the story, I was thrilled. I'm fascinated by the wandering paths our lives take, and Vivian's is a majestic one.
The verdict: Orphan Train is an emotional read, and I sobbed through the last twenty pages. Kline makes the orphan train experience come alive through Vivian, and her joint portrayal of Molly's life in foster care is a sobering reality of how close we still are to that dark history.
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LibraryThing member TFS93
One of my favorites so far in 2013. Vivian's story is a must read. She overcomes much and is able to triumph in the end. Molly is a teenager who has gotten into trouble and is assigned community service. Molly agrees to clean Vivian's attic. The strange friendship that develops between a 91 year
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old and a teenager is very interesting. They have more in common than they first believe. Molly becomes a better person from having learned from Vivian. A very interesting tale about a not very well known part of history. Show Less
LibraryThing member hollysing
Orphan trains went regularly from the East Coast to Midwest farmlands between 1854 and 1929. Children were adopted by families to work on the farm in exchange for food, shelter, and education. As this book reveals, their experience was often very sad and oppressive.
The story toggles between
I felt too much of this very short book was spent on the present day. The interesting story (that of the orphans) was hastily sketched out. The POV is of a ten-year-old being transferred from one foster home to another. The language used for her was more like that of an adult. I would say the book was appropriate for young adults, but not with a rape scene and the language. I was left wanting more of the stories of the orphans.
Harper Collins graciously supplied the ARC for my unbiased opinion.
The story toggles between
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modern-day Maine and Depression era Minnesota. Vivian Daly, an orphan replanted in the West, is now an old woman going through her mementos in Maine with the help of Molly, a seventeen-year-old Penobscot Indian, who is serving community service. The women find a common bond in their foster homes.I felt too much of this very short book was spent on the present day. The interesting story (that of the orphans) was hastily sketched out. The POV is of a ten-year-old being transferred from one foster home to another. The language used for her was more like that of an adult. I would say the book was appropriate for young adults, but not with a rape scene and the language. I was left wanting more of the stories of the orphans.
Harper Collins graciously supplied the ARC for my unbiased opinion.
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LibraryThing member alekee
I just finish this book, it sure has a lot of heart tugging life happenings. There is a parallel between two lives, one near the end in her nineties and the other aging out of the system at seventeen. Life and circumstance bring them together.
The older lady was an immigrant from Ireland, she ends
This story also tells of modern times child placement services, and comparisons with the orphan train. We also with the help of modern time conveniences help the elderly orphan train survivor find some information for closure. This is an in depth look at her life.
I found myself pulled into this story, and kept hoping for the best. At times things looked better, but she sure had a very hard life. Loved that we were able to find out about some of the other children on the train and what happened to them.
In the end I really wanted more answers, what happened to the modern day orphan?? I know how I wanted it to end, and so I guess it will end that way for me. All in all this became a very quick and enjoyable read.
I received this book from the Net Galley Program, and was not required to give a positive review.
The older lady was an immigrant from Ireland, she ends
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up loosing her family, and ends up on the Orphan Train. I enjoy reading stories about this period in this country. I am sure the children were frightened, heading to the unknown. Some loosing their parents, and now heading to loving homes?? Some were abused, and exploited.This story also tells of modern times child placement services, and comparisons with the orphan train. We also with the help of modern time conveniences help the elderly orphan train survivor find some information for closure. This is an in depth look at her life.
I found myself pulled into this story, and kept hoping for the best. At times things looked better, but she sure had a very hard life. Loved that we were able to find out about some of the other children on the train and what happened to them.
In the end I really wanted more answers, what happened to the modern day orphan?? I know how I wanted it to end, and so I guess it will end that way for me. All in all this became a very quick and enjoyable read.
I received this book from the Net Galley Program, and was not required to give a positive review.
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LibraryThing member Tinasbookreviews
Im positively blown away by this masterpiece called The Orphan Train, a book that at first held the possibility of a moving historical combined with a contemporary flair became a much more personal and notable read for me when I finished. Every detail in this story was so vivid and real, I could
The story while focusing on the harrowing drama of these young girls (mostly Vivian's depression-era story) through immigration, abandonment and foster homes, also sheds light on the working class during the depression, a time that I really know nothing about, or really not what many Americans want to reflect on. How did this happen to orphaned children and did these things really happen? Was it so bad during that time that a parent, a mother could send her child to a life of servitude? If so why don't we talk about this in schools, in our education systems, in general history? So many thought provoking questions to think about after turning the last page that my mind was left spinning and my eyes just bawling.
Very seldom as a reader do I find books that reach a deep part of my heart as this book did. Due to my own personal life experiences, Im always and forever moved by individuals real or fictional who overcome rejection or loss, especially foster children and teens who have managed to make it on their own. Identity of oneself is an overwhelming emotion which can be confusing, isolating and scary when guidance and structure have left a persons life at a young age. I thought Kline did an amazing job touching on the fascinating and heartbreaking psyche of the abandoned child mindset. While at times painfully sad the book is almost impossible to put down and furthermore its one that will be impossible to forget.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary or historical pieces, or to any reader who wants to feel their hearts break, heal and soar again. I will treasure this book on my shelf along with my other favorites.
Brave, touching and sure to grab you from page one.
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feel the air in Ireland, feel the move of the train, and sense the sorrow of both Vivian and Molly struggling to come to terms with the death, loss and abandonment of the ones who promised to care for them. The despairing feeling of belonging to no one and nowhere and always that small thread of hope that anyone, someone, just one person, would love them back. It was easy to see the characters so different yet so alike form a deep connection of uncommon friendship in such an unlikely place.The story while focusing on the harrowing drama of these young girls (mostly Vivian's depression-era story) through immigration, abandonment and foster homes, also sheds light on the working class during the depression, a time that I really know nothing about, or really not what many Americans want to reflect on. How did this happen to orphaned children and did these things really happen? Was it so bad during that time that a parent, a mother could send her child to a life of servitude? If so why don't we talk about this in schools, in our education systems, in general history? So many thought provoking questions to think about after turning the last page that my mind was left spinning and my eyes just bawling.
Very seldom as a reader do I find books that reach a deep part of my heart as this book did. Due to my own personal life experiences, Im always and forever moved by individuals real or fictional who overcome rejection or loss, especially foster children and teens who have managed to make it on their own. Identity of oneself is an overwhelming emotion which can be confusing, isolating and scary when guidance and structure have left a persons life at a young age. I thought Kline did an amazing job touching on the fascinating and heartbreaking psyche of the abandoned child mindset. While at times painfully sad the book is almost impossible to put down and furthermore its one that will be impossible to forget.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary or historical pieces, or to any reader who wants to feel their hearts break, heal and soar again. I will treasure this book on my shelf along with my other favorites.
Brave, touching and sure to grab you from page one.
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LibraryThing member bookchickdi
Two years ago I read Laura Moriarty’s novel The Chaperone, about a woman who chaperoned a young Louise Brooks on a summer trip to New York City in the 1920s. As a young child, the woman was part of the orphan train, coming from New York City to Kansas to be adopted.
I had never heard of orphan
Christina Baker Kline’s novel Orphan Train shares the story of two women- Vivian and Molly. Molly is a teenage foster child, living with a couple in a small harbor town in Maine. The situation is not ideal; the woman of the house mistrusts and dislikes Molly.
Molly steals an old copy of Jane Eyre from the library and as punishment has to do 50 hours of community service. She ends up helping 90-year-old Vivian clean out her attic.
Molly discovers that Vivian was on the orphan train and this is where the story is strongest. Vivian and her family came over from Ireland to New York City. Her father and brothers were killed in a fire, and her sister was also believed to have perished. Her mother became mentally ill and Vivian was put on the orphan train, hoping to be adopted by loving parents.
Vivian’s story is heartbreaking and so hard to imagine. She was eight-years-old and in charge of caring for a baby boy (whom she had never met) on the train. The story is so vividly written, and Kline’s thorough research adds so much to this sad tale.
Just thinking about those children, forced to stand on a stage and be inspected by people looking at their teeth, their bones, their skin, like they were some kind of farm animal, shocked me.
Vivian is taken in by a couple and when she arrives at their home, finds that they have several women working for them sewing clothes. Vivian is expected to join them as free labor. She sleeps on a pallet on the floor and is not sent to school as is required by the law.
When the Depression hits, the business disappears and Vivian is sent to another family. This situation is even worse; a severely impoverished family with too many little children and not enough food. Vivian is expected to care for the children, but her saving grace is that she goes to school.
There she meets the teacher Miss Larsen, who comes to Vivian’s aid when her situation at the new place becomes intolerable. Vivian ends up at the home of a shopkeeper and his wife, where she blossoms helping the shopkeepers in their business.
Molly’s story is less intriguing, perhaps because it is more familiar to us. She begins to bond with Vivian, as they have more in common than they could have imagined. Molly gets Vivian to open up about her past and it changes both of their lives.
The characters in Orphan Train, particularly Vivian, Molly and Molly’s boyfriend Jack (who is reading Junot Diaz in a passage) are fascinating and multi-dimensional. Vivian’s story made me wish I had talked to my grandparents about what their lives were like, the things they dealt with and overcame.
This book, like Adriana Trigiani’s The Shoemaker’s Wife, will make you look at your grandparents as people who had lives so different from our own. This was a strong generation.
If you read The Chaperone, Orphan Train is a must-read for you. Anyone who like stories about strong women and historical fiction, will enjoy Orphan Train. The P.S. section at the end is also interesting, where Kline shares how she found this amazing story.
I had never heard of orphan
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trains and was shocked to discover that 200,000 children from 1854-1929 were taken on these trains to be adopted. Many children were adopted by loving families, but many others were used as indentured servants to work farms and care for other children.Christina Baker Kline’s novel Orphan Train shares the story of two women- Vivian and Molly. Molly is a teenage foster child, living with a couple in a small harbor town in Maine. The situation is not ideal; the woman of the house mistrusts and dislikes Molly.
Molly steals an old copy of Jane Eyre from the library and as punishment has to do 50 hours of community service. She ends up helping 90-year-old Vivian clean out her attic.
Molly discovers that Vivian was on the orphan train and this is where the story is strongest. Vivian and her family came over from Ireland to New York City. Her father and brothers were killed in a fire, and her sister was also believed to have perished. Her mother became mentally ill and Vivian was put on the orphan train, hoping to be adopted by loving parents.
Vivian’s story is heartbreaking and so hard to imagine. She was eight-years-old and in charge of caring for a baby boy (whom she had never met) on the train. The story is so vividly written, and Kline’s thorough research adds so much to this sad tale.
Just thinking about those children, forced to stand on a stage and be inspected by people looking at their teeth, their bones, their skin, like they were some kind of farm animal, shocked me.
Vivian is taken in by a couple and when she arrives at their home, finds that they have several women working for them sewing clothes. Vivian is expected to join them as free labor. She sleeps on a pallet on the floor and is not sent to school as is required by the law.
When the Depression hits, the business disappears and Vivian is sent to another family. This situation is even worse; a severely impoverished family with too many little children and not enough food. Vivian is expected to care for the children, but her saving grace is that she goes to school.
There she meets the teacher Miss Larsen, who comes to Vivian’s aid when her situation at the new place becomes intolerable. Vivian ends up at the home of a shopkeeper and his wife, where she blossoms helping the shopkeepers in their business.
Molly’s story is less intriguing, perhaps because it is more familiar to us. She begins to bond with Vivian, as they have more in common than they could have imagined. Molly gets Vivian to open up about her past and it changes both of their lives.
The characters in Orphan Train, particularly Vivian, Molly and Molly’s boyfriend Jack (who is reading Junot Diaz in a passage) are fascinating and multi-dimensional. Vivian’s story made me wish I had talked to my grandparents about what their lives were like, the things they dealt with and overcame.
This book, like Adriana Trigiani’s The Shoemaker’s Wife, will make you look at your grandparents as people who had lives so different from our own. This was a strong generation.
If you read The Chaperone, Orphan Train is a must-read for you. Anyone who like stories about strong women and historical fiction, will enjoy Orphan Train. The P.S. section at the end is also interesting, where Kline shares how she found this amazing story.
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LibraryThing member Minne2
One of the best books I've read, loved the MN references and the sad story of two "orphaned women" from different time periods.
LibraryThing member CheryleFisher
A book I had been looking forward to reading for quite some time. This time I was not disappointed. I did not want this one to end. I usually do not like two storylines alternating in a book, but this one was well done and I wanted to know more about both.
LibraryThing member creighley
Two stories intersect: one of Vivian, a 91 year old widow, and Molly, a 17 year old who has to do community service and is inches away from being taken from her fourth foster home. Molly is helping Vivian sort through her personal belongings and discovering how much their lives are truly alike.
LibraryThing member BookAddictKatie
Orphan Train follows the stories of two women connected by their abandonment. In the early 1920s, Vivian Daly loses her entire family in a tragic fire shortly after they immigrate to the United States. In the span of a few hours, Vivian becomes an orphan and a ward of the Children's Aid Society of
In present time, Molly Ayer has been passed along from one foster family to the next. She always seems to get in "trouble" when she really is just misunderstood. When Molly steals a copy of Jane Eyre from the library, she must do 50 hours of community service or be send to juvenile detention. Little does she know that the elderly woman she will be helping will change her life forever.
This book is not long enough! I fell in love with these characters from the very beginning, and I wanted to keep reading about their lives. They are both the epitome of being "misunderstood" and being victims of circumstance that take their situations and make something amazing out of them. Vivian has been through more in her life than ten people combined, and Molly is on that same path at the young age of 17. Molly and Vivian illustrate how it doesn't matter what era it is - children who are orphaned or abandoned are not treated with the care and love they deserve.
Not only are the characters compelling, but the history of these orphan trains is fascinating. Children really were sent in trains across the country. The theme did remind me somewhat of The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty which I reviewed last year and loved. The main character in that book seems to have it extremely easy in life compared to Vivian. There is also a wonderful afterward in the book with a short history of orphan trains with pictures. I cannot recommend this book enough - it would be wonderful for book clubs because there is so much to discuss about relationships as well as history.
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New York. They soon send her along with other orphans on trains headed for the West to families who want to adopt children... except that's not how it really works out - most children are forced into unpaid labor and may never be adopted.In present time, Molly Ayer has been passed along from one foster family to the next. She always seems to get in "trouble" when she really is just misunderstood. When Molly steals a copy of Jane Eyre from the library, she must do 50 hours of community service or be send to juvenile detention. Little does she know that the elderly woman she will be helping will change her life forever.
This book is not long enough! I fell in love with these characters from the very beginning, and I wanted to keep reading about their lives. They are both the epitome of being "misunderstood" and being victims of circumstance that take their situations and make something amazing out of them. Vivian has been through more in her life than ten people combined, and Molly is on that same path at the young age of 17. Molly and Vivian illustrate how it doesn't matter what era it is - children who are orphaned or abandoned are not treated with the care and love they deserve.
Not only are the characters compelling, but the history of these orphan trains is fascinating. Children really were sent in trains across the country. The theme did remind me somewhat of The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty which I reviewed last year and loved. The main character in that book seems to have it extremely easy in life compared to Vivian. There is also a wonderful afterward in the book with a short history of orphan trains with pictures. I cannot recommend this book enough - it would be wonderful for book clubs because there is so much to discuss about relationships as well as history.
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Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — 2013)
Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2016)
Maine Readers' Choice Award (Longlist — 2014)
Maine Literary Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2014)
Nautilus Book Award (Silver Winner — Fiction — 2014)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013
Physical description
278 p.; 5.2 x 0.9 inches
ISBN
0061950726 / 9780061950728