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prairiedances's review
2.0
A disappointing end to the orphan train series. It's now 1866 and Frances Mary concludes the story which began in 1860. Frances is now 19 years old and hoping to marry Johnny a boy she grew up with. However, he is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after spending years in a Confederate prison during the Civil War. She wants him to forget his unhappy past and look to a future with her. Unfortunately, Johnny wants to hold off on marriage until he is well both mentally and physically. Therefore in anger, Frances decides to travel to New York City and help with the Orphan Train, coming full circle from the first book, A Family Apart.
What was disappointing is that non of the Kelly children make an appearance and the plot follows the same path as previous books. We learn that Mike went out west at 17. But did he reenlist in the war as he promised? Did he find gold or excitement in California? Megan, 18 is smitten with a boy in her hometown. Did she become a teacher like Frances? Was she ever reunited with her family? Little is said about poor Petey now 12. Frances took great pains to be placed with him in the first book, but throughout the series he is never seen nor discussed by the family. Why then did Nixon write him in? Peg, 14, is still one-dimensional and little is mentioned about the aftermath of Danny's death and its effect on her.
What we do get is a flat story about a new set of children sent out west and bank robber thrown in. At 19 Frances Mary is written exactly how she was at 13. She annoyingly refuses to look at any of the negative aspects of life yet manages to both get her boyfriend back and turn a member of Jesse James' gang to the "good side". On the plus side, the children in Frances' care are likable and sets up for Nixon's later spin off series on them. In the end Frances and Johnny marry and decide to adopt Eddie, an orphan that no one else wanted.
What was disappointing is that non of the Kelly children make an appearance and the plot follows the same path as previous books. We learn that Mike went out west at 17. But did he reenlist in the war as he promised? Did he find gold or excitement in California? Megan, 18 is smitten with a boy in her hometown. Did she become a teacher like Frances? Was she ever reunited with her family? Little is said about poor Petey now 12. Frances took great pains to be placed with him in the first book, but throughout the series he is never seen nor discussed by the family. Why then did Nixon write him in? Peg, 14, is still one-dimensional and little is mentioned about the aftermath of Danny's death and its effect on her.
What we do get is a flat story about a new set of children sent out west and bank robber thrown in. At 19 Frances Mary is written exactly how she was at 13. She annoyingly refuses to look at any of the negative aspects of life yet manages to both get her boyfriend back and turn a member of Jesse James' gang to the "good side". On the plus side, the children in Frances' care are likable and sets up for Nixon's later spin off series on them. In the end Frances and Johnny marry and decide to adopt Eddie, an orphan that no one else wanted.
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