Orphan Train

Orphan Train

 by: Christina Baker Kline

Synopsis: Orphan Train is about two very different women forming an unexpected friendship, and learning that they are actually more similar than either thought possible. Molly Ayer is a 17 year old, who will soon "age out" of the foster system. She is forced to help Vivian Daly, a 91 year old woman, clean out her home as community service on the coast of Maine. Molly thinks no one will ever understand her, this is until she starts finding Vivian's secrets hidden in her attic. She discovers that Vivian was an orphan sent from New York to the Midwest with hundreds of other children on trains to find homes. These trains that the orphans traveled on became known as "orphan trains", they would make stops at towns and people hoping to adopt would come and pick their new children. After learning this and the rest about Vivian's past, Molly is determined to help solve the mysteries that have haunted Vivian for all of these years. 

Review: This is another historical fiction, and it's exceptional. I devoured this book! It was so good and full of emotions and wonderfully written. I think the coolest, but also the saddest, part was the fact that "orphan trains" were real. Between 1854 to 1929, more than 200,000 orphaned/abandoned were sent to the Midwest on the "orphan trains". It was interesting to learn about apart of our history that we never learn about in history classes. Overall this book is amazing and I have read it multiple times and will continue to reread it occasionally. Everyone should read it at least once in their lives.