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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So very good. I recommend!
Slow
Loved this book! (see warning below)
It has a compelling storyline that jumps between 1929 to 2011 with two different heroines whose life stories often parallel. In 2011, these stories converge when the characters meet and their lives begin to intertwine. Themes of this book include: it’s never too late to embrace family and heal old wounds, …
Good insight into the history of this country and war.
Is unbelievable that thst happened. A lot of good intentions but a lot of evil.
Wow, I learned things that I didn’t know! Reading this book inspired me to find some other books about orphans.
Great book
Until I read this book, I had not known anything about the orphan children who were sent by train to the midwest during this time. Eye-opening! Now there has been more material about this time period. I liked the use of the different decades in the main character’s life.
So informative and thoroughly researched! A wonderful but troubling piece of history that has been overlooked. This narrative made me go to the Orphan Train Museum in Concordia, Kansas. (From Montana yet!)
This was another really good read, my first by this author. I loved Vivian’s story. She’s now ninety-one and decides it’s time to clean out her attic full of boxes that hold a lifetime of hardship, loneliness, and lost love.
Molly is a seventeen-year-old goth-girl stuck in the foster home system, an angry survivor who’s just biting her time until …
I learned about a part of our country’s history that I was not aware of.
Loved it. This is one of my favorite books. Have recommended it to several friends.
I really liked this story. I loved that it switched between the 1920’s and 30’s to 2011. I loved watching the parallel of the characters. I liked how the story was told and how it revealed pieces of itself. I liked that while there was a lot of heartbreak, this also told some very interesting stories. I have read other “orphan train” type books …
Not sure if I’m being harsh with a 3 star, it was a really nice easy read, and I enjoyed it for the most part.
The basis of the story was great, I just felt like parts of it were rushed. It could of had so much more and I would of been really gripped as the characters are likeable.
Having said that, I think it’s a perfect holiday book, a quick …
History of our nation
The story was told through a diary format. I would have preferred a story format
Great book about an interesting aspect of United States history when all the parentless children were sent around the country by train.
Good story, but heart breaking.
This book humanizes a lesser-known part of American history in how orphans were shipped by train from New York City to the Midwest in hopes of providing them a better life. What happens often falls short of the lofty, good intentions of the orphan train planners. After reading this story, thoughts will linger about how we measure the value of what …
Read for book club, this historical novel was gripping. You truly cared for the characters. I would recommend this to a friend.