A Book Review
Orphan Train
By Christina Baker Kline
(William
Morrow Paperbacks; 304 pages; $14.99)
“The things that matter stay with you,
seep into your skin…”
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is
the fictional account of a very real movement that brought homeless children
from American Eastern cities by train to the Midwest and West. The intention
was to offer homeless and abandoned children a fresh start and at least a
chance of being welcomed into new families. “Orphan trains” carried more than
200,000 children across the country from 1854 to 1929. Once they reached their
new homes, many of the children were provided for and eventually adopted, while
others were treated harshly, like little more than indentured servants; an
extra body, a pair of hands to help with work on the farm.
When it comes to being chosen, Niamh
has plenty of strikes against her as a redhead, a girl, and an adolescent. The
most desirable of the orphans were strong 14-15 year old boys who could help
with the hard work of living off the land.
Shuffled from one family to another,
Niamh is at the mercy of these families, experiencing more than her share of
hardships and dysfunction. She lives with the indignity of being stripped of
her name, according to the personal preference of the families who take her in.
Despite instability, Naimh, eventually known as Vivian, can see a thread that
runs through her life that feels more like fate and less like chance.
Fate brings together Vivian, now 91
years old, and 17-year-old Molly, a child of the foster care system, when Molly
has to fulfill community service hours in order to avoid juvenile detention.
Told in alternating voices, the story
unfolds through the newly formed relationship between Vivian and Molly; both
travel through time as their stories intertwine over the myriad boxes of
memories and treasures housed in Vivian’s attic. The two discover they have
much in common, including the loss of their families, which has forced them to
forge through life often alone.
Captivating and engaging, Orphan Train is one of those
rare stories that kept me up late into the night, unwilling to put the book
down.
I was enthralled by this unfolding piece of American history I was unaware of…and by the double narrative that carried me to Ireland for a spell, New York City, Minnesota, and Maine.
I was enthralled by this unfolding piece of American history I was unaware of…and by the double narrative that carried me to Ireland for a spell, New York City, Minnesota, and Maine.
When the book ended, I sobbed at the
depth and vigor of life, love, and loss it so vividly portrayed. But I was
heartened by the delightful fact that I was invited to a book group, where the
author Christina Baker Kline was the honored guest. What a treat to hear about
how Christina was drawn to the story through her husband’s family history. And
how what started as a potential article for People magazine, unfolded as this
multi-faceted story of our nation’s history that was at once dark with shame
and uncertainty and bright with hope for a better life.
When I went to bed that night, after
finishing Orphan Train and meeting its
author, I was sorry the journey was over. I missed my friends Vivian and Molly,
who I had come to know and love.
Ultimately,Orphan Trainis an uplifting story
of human will, connection, determination, and even joy, laced with the pain,
sometimes very deep, that accompanies many of us on this journey called life.
Orphan Train, has received a
number of accolades, including a place on the New York Times Bestseller list several weeks running.
It’s the perfect summer read.
What
are you reading this summer? Comment HERE for a chance
to win a FREE copy of Orphan Train!
Sounds like a good book. Al & JoAnna Lacy wrote one book about it in their Angel of Mercy series and then expanded it in a trilogy. They were interesting reads as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill! I find this part of our immigrant history fascinating and will check out these books as well. Great tip!
DeleteThis was a book club read and different from our normal picks. I loved it and read in one sitting. I liked the two stories of Molly and Vivian and their similar journeys, decades apart. The ending was pretty much perfect - but part of me wanted the story to go on to see how the relationships continued to grow. That is how much I enjoyed this story.
ReplyDelete