Kline tells this enlightening and emotionally engaging story based on true accounts of the orphan train movement in early 20th century america. As an adult, winefred lorraine williams learned that she was placed in a new york city orphanage soon after her birth in. Descendants and relatives of new york orphan train riders, including margaret briley, james douget, warren lafleur, barbara jesclard and florella inhern, tell the stories of some of the children. Again, like in sweet water, the author interweaves the stories of an old woman and a young girl. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train. Something like this happened in england too, they sold the children to a place in. 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.
If you are the publisher or author of this book and. Read online orphan train by christina baker kline for. Shes had experience as a seamstress, and the new york childrens aid society has established a special service. Orphan train on surprise trip up the bestseller list. Riders on the orphan train by alison moore goodreads. A riveting look at the orphan train from historical novelist jody hedlund when a financial crisis in 1850s new york leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, elise neumann, knows she must take action.
What to read next if you liked prince lestat, orphan train. They started their journey in new york and were given away in train stations across the country. Click on the names below to view a story of an orphan train rider. Jessica almasyactress, theater teacher, and founding member of the new york citybased theater company called the teamwas unconsciously preparing to be an audiobook narrator even as a.
Alison moore alison moore lives in austin, texas when. 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. Between 1854 and nearly a quarter of a million children from the east coast of the united states were resettled under what came to be known as the orphan train. The orphan train children lined up to board the orphan train this train came through arkansas when my mother was young. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains transported more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children many of them firstgeneration irish catholic.
After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train christina baker klines new novel incorporates a true piece of american history. You want books that are thoughtprovoking and intelligent but still approachable. All fiction, these books turn dry historical facts into the compelling stories. Perhaps half a million children, like teresa, were plucked from orphanages and. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about a. One of the book s protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed onto a train and sent to the midwest. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping molly out of juvie and worse. Take a trip back in time to the early 20th century in america, where ethan cooper and his orphaned siblings are on a mission to find a family. More than 200,000 homeless children were sent west on the trains. Moving between contemporary maine and depressionera minnesota, orphan train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship. Goodreads members who liked the orphan train also liked. Goodreads members who liked orphan train also liked. 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.
A novel by christina baker kline conversation starters limited time offer. She is the author of three books, a collection of short stories entitled the middle of elsewhere a novel, synonym for love and a collection of. Riders on the orphan train kindle edition by alison moore. Riders on the orphan train chronicles the lives of two children among approximately 250,000 young people placed out between 1854 and 1929. Chapters alternate between historical information on the movement and personal details and memories of orphans like lee nailling and his brothers. If you like orphan train book discussion, you might love these ideas. Brought together by mollys community service sentence, seventeenyearold molly learns that she has much more in common with ninetyoneyearold vivian than she first. If youve recently finished anne rices prince lestat, christina baker klines orphan train, james dashners the maze run. Orphan train by christina baker kline librarything.
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. 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. Apr 10, 2014 vivans story starts in 1929, when 9 year old vivian at that time called niamh loses her parents and is sent from new york to the midwest with an orphan train, into an uncertain future. The book includes a short bibliography as well as suggested reading. Ann packerbetween 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains ran regularly from the. Orphan train is a well written book, and has motivated me to track down more of warrens books. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in.
After reading something wonderful, nearly everything pales in comparison. 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. Riders on the orphan train kindle edition by moore, alison. Quotes from orphan train by christina baker kline bookmate. Orphan train rider stories national orphan train complex. From 1854 to 1929, an estimated 250,000 children were emigrated out of viceridden urban areas and put up for grabs in the west, where labor was in short supply. Orphan train nearly eighteen, molly ayer knows she has one last chance. Apr 02, 20 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. Andrea warren is the author of many acclaimed nonfiction books for young readers, including orphan train rider. There are acknowledgements and photo credits, and an extensive index for both the text and photographs. I read dozens of trainrider stories and many books about them, said. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders. A few orphan train riders are still alive, and kline feels an urgency to get.
Aug 02, 2015 descendants and relatives of new york orphan train riders, including margaret briley, james douget, warren lafleur, barbara jesclard and florella inhern, tell the stories of some of the children. Orphan train themes from litcharts the creators of. Alison moore and phil lancaster present riders on the orphan train, a live documentary presentation. In this segment from the west by orphan train documentary, orphan train rider stanley cornell recounts the story of he and his brothers experiences living in an orphanage and their eventual. It brings out the reality of the movement between 1854 and 1930 of 200,000 abandoned children to find homes in the west. Apr 03, 2014 theres only one bad thing about reading a great bookfinding an equally great book can seem impossible. Orphan train girl by christina baker kline, paperback. Theres only one bad thing about reading a great book finding an equally great book can seem impossible. The elderly white woman is an orphan too and traveled west in 1929 on an orphan train. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. One of the book s protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed. 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. Historical fiction books national orphan train complex.
She has just completed an historical novel titled riders on the orphan train with a fellowship from the national endowment for the arts. Orphan train riders, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. Jul 20, 2012 alison moore and phil lancaster present riders on the orphan train, a live documentary presentation. Just months from aging out of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse. Find books like orphan train from the worlds largest community of readers. Orphan train research person for this site is clark kidder author of emilys story. Theres only one bad thing about reading a great bookfinding an equally great book can seem impossible.
Orphan train is a specifically american story of mobility and rootlessness, highlighting a littleknown but historically significant moment in our countrys past. Be the first to ask a question about riders on the orphan train. As an adult, winefred lorraine williams learned that she was placed in a new york city orphanage soon after her birth in 1922. Riders on the orphan train is a novel about a little known piece of american. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in 18531910. Collect all four volumes of the beyond the orphan train series. Hedlunds cinderella story, shedding light on the hardships women faced in both the east coast cities and the developing west in the 1850s, is a pleasant romance with plenty of twists to keep readers engaged until the final page. Riders on the orphan train kindle edition by moore. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in book club books, book. Id heard about the orphan trains but like most history, it was fact without a face. 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. Feb 25, 2016 however, vivian was an orphan during the great depression and molly is an orphan today. Many of the riders of the orphan and mercy trains came from the irish. 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 train is the assigned summer reading for the 300 firstyear students at edgewood college in madison, wis. Between 1854 and 1929, over 250,000 orphans and surrendered children were placed out across the country. Novel follows the orphan train to minnesota minnpost. In the attic, molly unwraps objects from vivians childhood, each providing the vehicle for a transition to vivians arduous experiences, first in new york, then on the orphan train, and finally in minnesota, where shes shunted from one desperate foster home.
Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in orphan train, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The most touching moment for me was when lee, who had every. This book would be an excellent followup to the movie orphan train. The story of vivian, 91, a former orphan train irish orphan beginning in 1929, and molly a 17 year old girl passed from one foster home to another and of the endearing friendship that ensued.
A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of americas history. The orphan trains operated between 1854 and 1929, relocating about 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, abused, or homeless children. The orphan train movement transported around needy, neglected, and orphaned children from new york to other regions of the united states and canada from 1854 to inspired by the roughly orphaned children calling the streets of new york home missouri woman shares story of mothers journey on orphan train missourinet. Wisconsin orphan train rider biographies, research queries, and lists and dates of orphan trains stopping in wisconsin. She has developed public outreach programs for the orphan train heritage society of america, inc. One boys true story, which won the boston globe horn book award. Several novels feature orphan train riders, including christina baker klines. Orphan train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from christina baker kline, author of bird in hand and the way life should be penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of the foster care system. The brave journey of an orphan train rider, which chronicles the true life story of his paternal grandmother an orphan train rider sent to. Ive come to think thats what heaven isa place in the memory of others where our best selves live on. She is the author of three books, a collection of short stories entitled the. Vivans story starts in 1929, when 9 year old vivian at that time called niamh loses her parents and is sent from new york to the midwest with an orphan train, into an uncertain future.
In real life, orphan trains were intended to save children from the streets, but sometimes. Christina baker kline is an american novelist, essayist, and editor. From the teeming streets of new york among a crush of immigrants. From 1854 to 1929, an estimated 250,000 children were emigrated out of viceridden urban areas and put up for grabs in the west, where labor was in. Jul 16, 2014 orphan train is the assigned summer reading for the 300 firstyear students at edgewood college in madison, wis. Christy awardwinner hedlund crafts an enjoyable first installment of the orphan train series. This would be an excellent addition to any classroom, both ela and history. I devoured nonfiction histories, childrens novels and picture books, and conducted research. Belonging and connection molly ayer and vivian daly, two women born in different places and eras and who were orphaned as young children, both struggle to find a sense of home and belonging. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, orphan train girl includes an authors note and archival photos from the orphan train era. One of the books protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed. Orphan train themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Orphan train by christina baker kline free download. Beyond the orphan train series, volumes 14 by arleta richardson.
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