The #1 New York Times BestsellerNow featuring a sneak peek at Christina’s forthcoming novel A Piece of the World, coming February 2017.Christina Baker Kline’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel—the captivating story of a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to long-buried questions…now with an … leads her to seek answers to long-buried questions…now with an extended scene that addresses the number one question readers ask, and an excerpt from Kline’s upcoming novel A Piece of the World.
“A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of America’s history. Beautiful.”—Ann Packer
Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East 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 and 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 a 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 Indian 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.
Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship.
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A sad but lovely story of two people world’s apart but who have had the same story. I was not able to put the book down and this is the second time I have read the book.
This was a great story that suffered from ho-hum writing.
Another of my top 10 favorite reads. Great historical fiction.
Excellent read. Hated to put it down. Would recommend to everyone.
Good pace, wonderful characters, heart-rending, and sometimes inspirational. Tells a story I’d never realized happened: children transported west and basically given to any family simply for the asking. Loved it!
This book was wonderful from the first page. It’s hard to believe it really happened. Was great story from beginning to the end. Couldn’t put it down.
This story is historical fiction. I think this book portrays a time and practice in our history that is unknown to most Americans. This author writes about these events and shows how resilient humans can be.
Wonderful story. Quick read.
Historical fiction about an episode of American history I hadn’t heard of. Between 1854 and 1929, 250,000 orphan children were transported by train from the East Coast to the Midwest to be “distributed” to pretty much whomever would take them. Some were adopted and raised in loving families. Many were not, but were taken on to do farm work or …
This was really a sweet story!
4 stars to Christina Baker Kline’s Orphan Train. It is a beautiful book – everything from the story to the imagery. Two parallel stories being told about what happens to a young girl when her family life is threatened. The elder, a 90-something year old woman remembering her past. The younger, a teenager doing community service for the 90 year …
This is a great book about a horrible time. I felt so much anguish for these poor children. Very few truly ever got to see what true unconditional love means.
A great read!
Great story and superb writing.
Loved it. Too bad so many children were used as farm hands and were at the mercy of the parents who adopted them.
This was a wonderful Novel based on the actual Orphan Trains. (Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East 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 …
It was okay, I suppose, but the subject had already been well covered in a children’s series.
I never knew this piece of our country’s history before. Easy and enjoyable read
Learned so much history that I knew nothing about
A story you will always remember! I am so glad I read it. It is a true story about a sad time in history! Yellow Rose