The orphan train movement was a supervised welfare program that transported orphaned and homeless children from crowded eastern cities of the united states to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the midwest. John jackson, who at five years old walked off after a marching band and never found his way home again. Supplies are very limited, but you can download and print a copy of the dowagiac orphan train coloring book for free. The orphan trains operated between 1854 and 1929, relocating about 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, abused, or homeless children. Christina baker klines new novel, orphan train, is partially set in 1929, mere months before the stock market crash that would trigger the great depression. The narrator describes how poverty and her mothers occasional neglect had left them thin and hungry. More information about this seller contact this seller. Buy a cheap copy of orphan train book by christina baker kline. You want books that are thoughtprovoking and intelligent but still approachable. Vivian traveled from nyc to minnesota as a young girl on one of the infamous orphan trains that was used to get orphans out of the cities into the country where they might have a better opportunity to find families and to be able to make a good life. Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant lady sent on an orphan train from new york city city to minnesota in the late 1920s. Orphan train on surprise trip up the bestseller list. Orphan train is a harrowing but ultimately uplifting story about this historical phenomenon. A young irish girl, niamh pronounced neeve, has just lost her entire family after a fire ripped through their tenement building.
Chosen as a one book, one read by hundreds of communities and campuses a finalist for a goodreads choice award, orphan train was included on. To get you started, weve put together a list of 20 surefire conversation starters, ranging from the best contemporary literature to historical fiction, memoirs, and history. With orphan train, author finds bestsellerdom fifth time around. Molly learns that vivian was herself an orphan, an irish immigrant in new york who was put on the orphan train in the late 1920s and tossed from home to home in minnesota. New york city, 1929 new york central train, 1929 union station, chicago, 1929 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 the milwaukee train, 1929.
For a midlist author on her fifth novel, it was a lofty number. Spruce harbor, maine, 2011 union station, chicago, 1929. Orphan train was a mix of favorite childhood books of mine such as anne of green gables, heidi, and understood betsy, and ms. Foundling hospital records new york city orphan train records. New orphan train books national orphan train complex. In 1926, a fouryearold orphan named lorraine williams and other children were scrubbed, dressed in new clothes and put onto an orphan train leaving grand central station. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Orphan train book king county library system bibliocommons. A limited supply of a coloring book using images from the orphan train mural is now available in a few locations throughout cass county, including the dowagiac area history museum and public libraries. Orphan train by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. A young irish immigrant orphaned in new york city, vivian was put on a train to the midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. Orphan train wrecked my heart and made me glad to be literate. Many an ancestry researcher knows that new york city is and was a tough place to live.
The unnamed narrator from the prologue later revealed as vivian describes a night when she was nine years old. Moving between contemporary maine and depressionera minnesota, orphan train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship. A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten. The author of bird in hand and the way life should be delivers her most ambitious and powerful novel to date. The orphan train and the children who rode them new. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude. New york city, 1929 in christina baker klines orphan train. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled 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.
Just before dutchy goes home with a farmer in minneapolis, minnesota, he and niamh promise to find each other again someday. The year is 2011 and molly is in trouble with the law. This historical novel was well written as the author describes the journeys of many orphaned children in new york city that were sent by train to other states for. Author says the novel appeals to readers looking for a book they can talk about. Writerinresidence at fordham university from 2007 2011, kline is a recent. An ancestry researcher can travel in time with orphan train records. This hardcover edition of orphan train will feature a deckled edge. Moving between contemporary maine and depressionera minnesota, orphan train is a powerful tale of upheaval and resilience, second chances, and unexpected friendship. The orphan train and the children who rode them new england. She lives outside new york city and spends as much time as possible on the coast of maine. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis.
More than 2 years on the new york times, usa today, and national indie bestseller. Kline has written six other novels orphan train, orphan train girl, the way life should be, sweet water, bird in hand, and desire lines and written or edited five works of nonfiction. Christina baker klines orphan train has collided with the circus caravan from sara gruens water for elephants. Molly discovers that she has the power to help vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire lifeanswers that will ultimately free them both.
When this recordclick genealogist has visited the nyc metropolis on a number of occasions, i, too, have found it a challenging place to navigate. The national orphan train complex in concordia, ks is a museum and research center dedicated to the orphan train movement, the various institutions that participated, and the children and agents who rode the trains. New york city, 1929 new york central train, 1929 union station, chicago, 1929 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 the milwaukee train, 1929 milwaukee road depot, minneapolis, 1929 albans, minnesota, 1929. Reminiscent of elizabeth strouts amy and isabel, this orphan train carries us along until the stories of these two women become one. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. On the train, niamh befriends dutchy, a twelveyearold boy, and takes care of carmine, a toddler.
They take niamh to the childrens aid society, and the agency sends niamh out to the midwest on an orphan train. Christina baker klines new novel, orphan train, is partially set in 1929, mere months before the stock market crash that would trigger the great. From 1854 to 1929 an estimated 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children were placed throughout the united states and canada during the orphan train movement. One of the book s protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed. Orphan train was a mix of preferred childhood publications of mine such as anne of ecofriendly gables, heidi, and also understood betsy, and ms. Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. This book illustrates that effect by looking at the fates of orphan train riders in aggregate, and by telling the stories of particular children. Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant girl sent on an orphan train from new york city to minnesota in the late 1920s.
The question and answer section for orphan train is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who, as the result of spending time together and sharing their experiences, form a bond, learn from each other, and change in significant ways. When the orphan train movement began, it was estimated that 30,000 abandoned children were living on the streets of new york city. So, when i found christina baker klines acclaimed novel orphan. Information shows that orphans were brought to mishawakasouth bend by catholic charities such as the new york foundling asylum and new york home bureau for dependent children. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train. At the same time, the book is the 2011 story of molly, a highschool teen getting ready to age out of foster care in new england. Apr 02, 20 vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. Orphan trains and newsboys of new york book trailer. Readers who enjoyed kristin hannahs the nightingale and sara gruens water for elephants will embrace this novel. Three years after that first orphan train left boston, charles loring brace began sending more than 300 children a year on orphan trains from new york city.
She stayed awake soothing the cries of her 18monthold sister, maisie, while her twin 6yearold brothers, dominick and james, slept nearby on a pallet. This book concentrates on the cas orphan trains, not only because the society placed considerably more children over a much longer period than any other agency, but because charles loring brace. Jenoff has written a tribute to the human spirit that soars in the midst of epic despair. It was called the orphan train, and took the children into the midwest to be given to families in exchange for the free labor the children would provide. The children didnt know where they were going, but their destination was likely to.
A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of americas. Choosing a book for your book club to read can be challenging. More than 200,000 homeless children were sent west on the trains. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train christina baker klines new novel incorporates a true piece of american history.
One is a seventeen years old living in foster care. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of the foster care. For book clubs 1929 train itinerary international editions. The orphan train community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Monica wood, new england bestselling author of when we were the kennedys in this poignant novel christina baker kline weaves a tapestry of the intertwining lives of two women and affirms our hope that the present can redeem the past and that love has a genuine power to heal. Rich in detail and epic in scope, the train rider is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendships, and of the secrets we carry with us that keep us from finding out who we are. When the orphan train movement began, it was estimated that 30,000 abandoned children were living on. Orphan train by christina baker kline plot summary litcharts. Molly ayer is living with ralph and dina in their home in spruce harbor, maine. Orphan train riders, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. During the orphan train movement from 1853 to 1929, an estimated 250,000 children were sent by train from large urban areas in the east to all 48 continental states. See more ideas about orphan train, orphan and train. Please use the link provided below to generate a unique link valid for 24hrs.