Orphan Train: A Heartfelt Historical Novel Spanning Generations and Friendship
A # 1 New York Times Best Seller, Christina Baker Kline’s Orphan Train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a little-known but historically significant movement in America’s past—and it includes a special PS section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.
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Community Reviews
I read this for a book club and found it an engrossing book. Although the relationship between Molly and Vivian appeared a bit forced at times overall it worked for me. I especially enjoyed reading Vivian's story as I love historical fiction.
What I Liked: A historical fiction page turner focusing on a little known practice of sending abandoned children from East Coast cities to new families in the Midwest. What I Disliked: Although the book is well written, it is confusing that Vivan's story is 1st person narrative but Molly's story is 3rd person narrative.
Story: 3.75
Writing: 3
Learning: 3
Characters: 3
Overall Entertainment: 3.5
Book club, my recommendation. I read this book in about 1.5 days, a very quick read that kept my interest. While overall it is a Hallmark channel plot and ending, it generally delivers in the entertainment area (don't all those Hallmark movies?). I found the topic of the orphan trains interesting and new, I had never heard of them before. I found "Vivian's" story more interesting than Molly's, the present-day sections where parts that I just got through in order to get back to the orphan story. The writing was intelligent, but not deep, but also not detractingly sloppy or sappy. There are many topics that are touched on in a cursory manner. I would recommend this book to most of my other reader friends if they wanted a quick and compelling read, nothing that was going to knock their socks off, something that could be read on vacation.
Writing: 3
Learning: 3
Characters: 3
Overall Entertainment: 3.5
Book club, my recommendation. I read this book in about 1.5 days, a very quick read that kept my interest. While overall it is a Hallmark channel plot and ending, it generally delivers in the entertainment area (don't all those Hallmark movies?). I found the topic of the orphan trains interesting and new, I had never heard of them before. I found "Vivian's" story more interesting than Molly's, the present-day sections where parts that I just got through in order to get back to the orphan story. The writing was intelligent, but not deep, but also not detractingly sloppy or sappy. There are many topics that are touched on in a cursory manner. I would recommend this book to most of my other reader friends if they wanted a quick and compelling read, nothing that was going to knock their socks off, something that could be read on vacation.
"Orphan Train" is the story of nine-year-old Niamh who travels by train from New York to Minnesota under the care of the Children's Aid Society. It chronicles her life as one example of a very difficult time in American history from the late 1800s until 1929, when children would board "baby" or "orphan trains" in the Northeast that stopped in various stations in the Midwest where they would be lined up and chosen by prospective "parents." Some parents were looking for a baby – – they always were chosen first – – other "parents" were looking for farmhands or household or childcare help.
A sub-story chronicles 17-year-old juvi foster-care child Molly and her relationship with a 90-year-old woman for whom she does community service as a punishment for a misdemeanor.
Strong themes of the book is a longing for family, belonging, love, acceptance.
Orphan trains stopped running in 1929 when a more organized foster care system was created. I recommend the book as not overly sentimental with historical facts woven in to some very readable fiction.
A sub-story chronicles 17-year-old juvi foster-care child Molly and her relationship with a 90-year-old woman for whom she does community service as a punishment for a misdemeanor.
Strong themes of the book is a longing for family, belonging, love, acceptance.
Orphan trains stopped running in 1929 when a more organized foster care system was created. I recommend the book as not overly sentimental with historical facts woven in to some very readable fiction.
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