On the brink of being kicked out of another foster home, 17-year-old Molly Ayer starts doing community service in the home of 91-year-old Vivian Daly. Her assignment is to help Vivian clean out her attic, but soon it's apparent that Vivian merely wants to look through her old things and remember her past. This past started with a young girl who was uprooted from Ireland to live in New York City with her family, and then soon after, loaded onto a train with other orphans bound for new homes in the Midwest.
Orphan Train
I really loved Orphan Train. I had never heard of these trains that took orphaned children from the cities and left them with whoever would take them in the Midwest. While it's nice to think of the children who fulfilled a couple's desire for a child, it's quite horrifying to think of the children who were taken in by couples who were merely looking for a farm hand or seamstress or whatever they needed for their particular business.
A beautiful combination of historical and contemporary fiction, I highly recommend Orphan Train.
My Rating: 5/5
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Orphan Train reading group guide
This review was written based on a copy of Orphan Train that I borrowed from my mom. :-)
I loved this one too ... a 2014 favourite :)
ReplyDeleteI loved this book too.
ReplyDeleteAnd....I also never heard of these trains. History is amazing.
Have a wonderful week.
I had a hard time putting it down!! An interesting story from start to finish!! It is definitely an easy read.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it!
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