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.
more
The idea was great. The characters were well developed. But the twist and the ending simply did not ring true to me. It was almost like a writer has to create extra tragedy to get the book noticed.
Excellent book! Highly recommend. I learned another chapter of our history. Loved this book
Well written, you feel real empathy for the characters. The situation these kids were in was really eye opening, especially since the story was based on true events.
Thoroughly enjoyed but don’t remember
I volunteer with kids in the foster system and this book did an outstanding job of portraying a girl in the system, what it does to her self image and yet there is no moralizing or preaching. You learn about her through a fascinating story about the older woman who she becomes friends with. Two fascinating characters who develop a special …
Lovely book…I loved this book and it’s memorable characters. Life was not easy for children left adrift in the cities of American. And, it was not easy when ‘do gooders’ moved them West to be left with people who sometimes only needed free labor.
This story is of an interesting time in American history that you didn’t learn about in school. The characters go through difficult situations in the effort to belong somewhere after they have lost their families. Their survivals speak to the strength of the human spirit.
Amazing to see what they did with those children. How resilient children can be.
This is the book that got me started on the orphan train books liked them all.
Two teenage girls, with troubled histories in foster care, meet under ordinary circumstances. Though they are more than 70 years apart in age, the friendship that develops as their stories emerge is a beautiful thing to see, as each inadvertently brings meaning to the other’s life. But an even more compelling part of the book for me was learning …
Very engaging and informative piece of overlooked history.
An interesting book about a regrettable time in our history.
It is historical fiction based on true events I didn’t know happened.
Good character development, the story led me to research the orphan train program in our country.
I never know exactly what to believe with historical fiction, but this book was engaging and made me want to learn more about an intriguing episode in our recent history.
I am a big fan of the history of the orphan trains and thoroughly enjoyed this very believable story. Loved all the characters.
First of all it is by Christina Baker Kline, which in itself is a recommendation. She is an excellent writer. The book is history based and very interesting.
I enjoyed this book and the ending left me thinking. My grandparents recalled the orphan trains and were concerned since many times the orphans were just free labor for farmers.
I have read several books about the orphan trains, but this is the best by far.