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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This book is fictional but it is based on true facts. Very sad.
I recommended this for my book club——I grew up in this area and was famaliar with the hostory ——-another sad chapter in the history of the south—–a must read—-
Very good book
Very good read. I’d never heard of the Orphan Train and learned about a piece of history.
sad But true wore reading
I learned a lot by reading this book- I had never heard of the orphan train previously.
Connected to characters. Plot was very sad at times, but I learned a lot. Well worth reading.
Wow this is a great book
I loved this book and I learned more about World War II!
I know many people loved it. I just could not stay focused on it. I diid not consider it a pagevturner for ME… MY SISTER LOVED IT .
wonderful read.
The relationship between the elderly former orphan and the young woman who helps her sort the physical souvenirs of her life will strike a chord for anyone who has tried to move from a large home to a smaller one. The book also provides poignant insight into the challenging experiences of immigrants.
Great insight to our history
This is an amazing and very moving story based on a slice of American history between 1854 and 1929 – a time when trains full of east coast orphans would work their way west delivering their charges to families wanting these castaways for a myriad of reasons. Some were looking for cheap labor in their fields or sweatshops. Others were trying to …
I couldn’t finish it. It was rather grim.
Amazing story. And very well written
Such an amazing story. A page turner, didn’t put the book down.
I stumbled upon this book when someone left it in the lobby of my building. What a gift! I LOVE this book. I’d never heard of Orphan Trains before,so it was a history lesson for me. It was easy to read and captivated me right away. I’m always excited to discover a new (to me) author,and I look forward to reading morenof Christine Baker Kline.
One of the best books I’ve read in years.
A totally haunting bit of history