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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Good read!
Awesome read about young orphans from New York City put on trains and sent out into the mid-west hoping people will take them and provide them homes. A few were loved but most were exploited as child care givers, farm help and general clean up kids. Tragic, but the story is moving along with the main characters.
Excellent story about part of our history that was unfamiliar to me at the time of my reading.
Heart warming!
I know that these trains existed in our national history. It was good to read a book about this era.
A lovely book. Well-written. Heart rending.
Good historical fiction
I absolutely loved this book. It was such a heart tugging story about 2 orphans journey and their herring journeys and how they found each other once again.
This was one of many “Orphan” books that have read, the first one. A lot of these books were tear-jerkers, but I am sure even the fiction ones were mostly true! I think it was good to shine the light on how these children were treated. Maybe it helped shine a light on places where children were severely mistreated. I feel that might have done …
My paternal grandfather was on the orphan train, so it has particular relevance to me. I read it a long time ago so can’t say much more about it.
I learned a great deal about what my family members went through. I hope all adults check into the family stories and learn that much of the stories is quite true.
Took too long to tell the story. All the characters seemed to have the same voice. Language felt stilted.
This is an enlightening work of fiction about a period of history in the United States. I had previously been unaware of the trains used to transport children from the East Coast to the Midwest.
Just to read how their lives were was so interesting. And sad in some cases.
I had no idea that this book represented a part of our past history. Once I started reading it and got attached to the characters, which did not take long, I could not put the book down.
I loved this story and couldn’t wait for bedtime so I could keep reading it. Very impressive writing and wonderful story about characters put in terrible situations. My empathy meter was at an all-time high.
Enjoyed this story of two women’s journeys to find their place and families. Liked how the story went from present to past. And the characters were believable and likable.
This was such a poignant story it stayed with me for long after I finished the ending. Two courageous women, very different lives but similar stories of hardship and isolation. It was shocking to learn about the insensitive social engineering of the orphan train and to realize it was a part of our country’s history.
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. I’m so glad I did. It was wonderful, and I really enjoyed it.
Not a classic but an excellent read and sheds light on a part of history .