Who knew? From 1854 to 1929 trains ran from the East
Coast to the Midwest with orphan kids. They were sent out to be adopted by
farming families. In theory it was the “Christian” thing to do. But stories
vary - some kids were chosen by kind folks and others were adopted to be
“slaves”. The author, Christina Baker Kline, of Orphan Train did
research and created her story from her discoveries. This is an excellent
read. Well written and thought provoking, I was very interested in her
characters and tale.
In current times, a high school student in trouble,
Molly, needs a community service project. She is paired with an elderly widow,
Vivian, to help clean out her attic. In sorting out keepsakes, a story
comes to life. Vivian, as she’s known now, was an Irish immigrant to New York
City and was ultimately sent on the orphan train to a new home. Her red hair
and age made her undesirable and she survived several horrible transitions
before finally being adopted by a nice storekeeper. Now she lives in Maine in a
lovely home, seemingly from money.
Molly is a Penobscot Indian who’s been in and out of foster
homes. She assumes Vivian was born to wealth. There are a lot of assumptions
and the truth in this small Maine town is discovered by both Vivian and Molly.
I liked the give and take in this book. Each chapter opens more
doors into Vivian’s story and Molly’s realization. The lesson to be
learned is the old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Molly and
Vivian gain strength from each other and you root for them both for a
satisfying ending.
Orphan Train is truly a decent read
passed on from a friend. Big thumbs up
