Orphan Train

Author: Christina Baker Kline
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher, 2017
Pages: 278
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of theEast Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood or adolescence of hard labor and servitude.

As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine, the memories of her upbringing rendered a hazy blur. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past.

Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they appear. A Penobscot Indians who has spent her youth in and out of foster homes, Molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past.

Review: Put on my list as a new release, I grabbed a copy as I was walking past a display at my library. This is one of those books you wish you could read again for the very first time. It's an amazing story.

I was aware of the orphan trains and have actually read at least one other book about them, but this is so well written. It's told in alternating timelines that I don't love, but it works for this novel. The author made a conscious effort to weave Vivian and Molly's stories together so that the transition between the present and past was seamless.

If you pick this book up, and I highly recommend that you do, make sure you check out the additional information and interview with the author at the back of the book. It creates a richer understanding of the time and circumstances.