Scan barcode
genannj's review against another edition
3.0
I thought that book was mediocre. There were times in the book, especially in the middle, where I felt the story was a little dragged out. Also, I did not like the abrupt ending to the book. I felt as though readers are kind of just left hanging at the end.
While it was not a bad book, it was not a book that I feel like I have to tell everybody to read because so good.
While it was not a bad book, it was not a book that I feel like I have to tell everybody to read because so good.
joyreadsinnc's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audiobook version of the book, and it was done very well. The two women doing the voices kept me interested and did the accents very well. I really enjoyed it, but also thought that it played to the dramatic and negative side of things. I am sure many individuals on the orphan train had very hard times and many horrible things happen to them. But to me, all of the horrible things that you could imagine happening ended up in this book. I would have to read more on the subject before I could really say if the book was realistic or not.
cipotalectora's review against another edition
4.0
I leave four children I could not help and did not love. I leave a place of degradation and squalor, the likes of which I will never experience again. And I leave any last shred of my childhood on the rough planks of that living room floor.
The Orphan Train Movement was a regulated government assistance program that shipped stranded and homeless children from swarmed Eastern urban communities of the United States to cultivate homes found to a great extent in rustic regions of the Midwest. The vagrant trains worked somewhere in the range of 1854 and 1929, migrating around 200,000 stranded and destitute children.
Three foundations, Children's Village, the Children's Aid Society, and later, the New York Foundling Hospital, tried to help these children. The establishments were upheld by well off benefactors and worked by proficient staff. The three foundations built up a program that set homeless, oprhaned, and abandoned city kids, who numbered an expected 30,000 in New York City alone during the 1850s, in encourage homes all through the nation. The children were moved to their new homes on trains that were marked "vagrant trains" or "child trains". This movement finished during the 1920s with the start of foster child care in America.
Time constricts and flattens, you know. It’s not evenly weighted. Certain moments linger in the mind and others disappear.
The beauty of historical fiction is the ability it has to make you aware of some point in history that you may not be aware about. The only other historical fiction book I've read that opened my eyes to a new point in history I didn't know about was [b:The Girl They Left Behind|38532199|The Girl They Left Behind|Roxanne Veletzos|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538914615l/38532199._SY75_.jpg|60165016]: As many as 380,000 Jews were massacred in Romanian-controlled territories between October 1940 until the end of World War II. During the Bucharest Pogrom, thousands of Jews were dragged into the streets and were tortured and killed.
Christina Baker Kline notes that the breadth and scope of the orphan train movement transported a reported two hundred and fifty thousand children from the East Coast to the Midwest between 1854 and 1929. Majority of these kids were Irish and Catholic who were orphaned and either placed in the hands of a caring and loving family, or placed in the hands of a family who forced them to do hard labour work. The latter applies to Vivian, a 91-year-old, who is the narrator of her story as she tells it to Molly, a troubled teen who needs to complete 50 hours of community service due to being caught for stealing a book from the library. Molly, with the help of her boyfriend, agrees to help Vivian clean her attic to get her hours completed instead of going to juvie, and as the two begin looking through Vivian's memories and collections, Vivian's story as an orphan girl and as an orphan train child begins to unfold, starting from when she was in Ireland with her family, up to when the immigrated to New York City, to when Vivian was first handed to her first family, then her second, and finally, her third. Throughout the novel, we see how much Vivian has suffered and gone through, how she was taken as a worker and laborer without being given the proper treatment a child needs, and it's heartbreaking.
I'm kind of on the minority here. Although this is a best seller, I've seen enough reviews stating how they were uninterested in the shifting pov's, and how Molly's character arc was not developed, or how the reader was unable to become invested in the story and characters, but I was thoroughly invested in the story, Vivian, and Molly. Molly, in particular, stole my heart from the very beginning. She was feared and seen as weird because of how she dressed and acted. She was the type of person I wish I was friends with during high school.
Although we don't know how much she has gone through, there is enough detail about her to get an idea. She's been from one family to another, she's been slapped, malnourished, mistreated, and many more, and it gives the reader the idea of how much she has actually suffered even without providing too much detail. I felt bad for Molly, not just because of her foster family situation but because of how she was seen. Her mixed Native American background was not throughly discussed in detail, but clearly it was part of her. She had no one but her dad to rely on for understanding her Indigenous side, and it clearly made a negative impact when he died and left her with only her mother. Her mother then becomes addicted and abusive, ending up in jail. Molly deserved so much better, and I was glad for how she finally stood up for herself during situations that enraged her.
In Mr. Reed’s classroom there’s a photo of Molly Molasses taken near the end of her life. In it she sits ramrod straight, wearing a beaded, peaked headdress and two large silver brooches around her neck. Her face is dark and wrinkled and her expression is fierce. Sitting in the empty classroom after school one day, Molly stares at that face for a long time, looking for answers to questions she doesn’t know how to ask.
Orphan Train is mostly about Vivian, and although she doesn't narrate the entire story to us (only begins to do so when she tells Molly about it for her paper), it is a heartbreaking story. I cried, I gagged, I smiled, and I laughed. I was really interested in hearing and learning about Vivian's story, and in my opinion, Christina delivered it in a very efficient way.
There was so much that happened to Vivian that broke my heart. She's poor in Ireland with her family, unable to care for herself and help her mother with her baby sister. They migrate to the US, get to New York, and three days later, her family dies in a fire. She's then placed in the Children's Aid Society with other kids who are also poor, have been abandoned, have been abused, or are homeless. She meets new people, cares for new kids, and becomes a part of three different families. I wished for Vivian to finally get into the hands of a loving family, and I wished for the time she would finally be able to sleep without fearing who was watching her, eat without having restrictions, sleep without having to ask, and live freely without worrying. While I knew something good would finally come into place, I was always rooting for her.
I don’t want to go into another home where I’m treated like a servant, tolerated only for the labor I can provide.
One of the best things about this novel is that it is so natural to follow, and how fast it felt now and again. Christina was very descriptive, allowing me to imagine the story as I read, and that is always something I appreciate. She gives endless insights concerning the characters and the spots that I had the option to envision the story in my mind. The story is also quick to breeze through, since the writing is easy to follow, which made the story a page-turner. Since I was really curious to continue learning more about Vivian and seeing what would happen next, there wasn't a point of boredom in this story. More or so, it was a very captivating one, and I'm really curious and eager to read Kline's other works.
One of the other things that added to the emotions of this story was the prejudice against the Irish immigrants. Admittedly, I didn't know much about the Irish and their history. I learned a little about them during my second semester of my first year of college, specifically about the times many of them migrated to the US. In Orphan Train, Vivian is seen as inferior for being Irish. Her red hair, Catholic religion, accent, pale skin, and viewable freckles are what people use against her. When her family left Ireland and arrived in NY, she witnessed her first encounter of ignorance towards her family, and it didn't really stop.
It is estimated that from the years 1820 to 1930, 4.5 million Irish immigrants arrived to the United States. It is said that the Irish took some of the most risky job positions and were regularly at low pay. They cut waterways. They burrowed channels for water and sewer pipes. They laid rail lines. They cleaned houses. They slaved in material plants. They functioned as stevedores, stable specialists and metal forgers. I think many people tend to ignore the harsh reality Irish immigrants have faced to get to the US and generally, how much they have suffered. It's a point of history I've become more interested in learning about.
“You are my only granddaughter, and I want you to have it,” Gram declared, fastening the chain around my neck. “See the interlaced strands?” She touched the raised pattern with a knobby finger. “These trace a never-ending path, leading away from home and circling back. When you wear this necklace, you’ll never be far from the place you started.”
The only complaint I have is how I wish there was an epilogue, or another few small chapters to give us a sense of what happened after the end. I'm left even more curious now, and even though this is fiction, I felt as if Vivian and Molly were people I met. I became so aware of their story and background that I'm curious to know more about what will happen with the answers they have found. I also do think this book reads more like a young adult than an adult novel, but that didn't bother me at all.
All in all, Orphan Train was truly a surprise. I'm no historical fiction reader, but it is something I've become more interested in reading. This delivered more than I expected, especially in terms of emotions.
grandmashenanigans's review against another edition
4.0
Such a sweet, sweet book! Ended before I was ready, though.
mfbaaby's review against another edition
4.0
“So I am learning to pretend, to smile and nod, to display empathy I do not feel. I am learning to pass, to look like everyone else, even though I feel broken inside.”
This book was heartbreaking, remarkable and everything I was hoping for going into this book. I never heard or knew about the orphan trains until I read this book and it breaks my heart what these children had to endure. They went through and seen things children shouldn’t experience and even after finding a new family they were dealt with a terrible situation. There were moments where my heart was breaking for these two young women and another moment where I was disgusted. There’s a huge trigger warning in this book that I haven’t seen it mentioned. The trigger warning is sexual assault so if you’ve experienced or feel a way with that I’d skip that part all together since it’s only a small apart within the book.
Orphan Train follows two women, one named Vivian throughout the 20th century and the other Molly through the 21 century. They meet in the 21 century while Molly has to help give Vivian a hand with her home. They’re two remarkable individuals who’re so different yet so alike and they come together in this book.
One thing I loved was the character Vivian, I felt more of a connection towards her rather than Molly. Vivian was kind and strong with everything she had been handed throughout her life. She dealt with so much yet she was a compassionate women who wanted to give others a helping hand.
I loved the writing style and the complexity of the writing. It was easy to follow and I loved the way the author wrote the relationships between the two characters and their experiences.
Overall, I loved this book and I really loved learning about the history of orphan trains as well.
This book was heartbreaking, remarkable and everything I was hoping for going into this book. I never heard or knew about the orphan trains until I read this book and it breaks my heart what these children had to endure. They went through and seen things children shouldn’t experience and even after finding a new family they were dealt with a terrible situation. There were moments where my heart was breaking for these two young women and another moment where I was disgusted. There’s a huge trigger warning in this book that I haven’t seen it mentioned. The trigger warning is sexual assault so if you’ve experienced or feel a way with that I’d skip that part all together since it’s only a small apart within the book.
Orphan Train follows two women, one named Vivian throughout the 20th century and the other Molly through the 21 century. They meet in the 21 century while Molly has to help give Vivian a hand with her home. They’re two remarkable individuals who’re so different yet so alike and they come together in this book.
One thing I loved was the character Vivian, I felt more of a connection towards her rather than Molly. Vivian was kind and strong with everything she had been handed throughout her life. She dealt with so much yet she was a compassionate women who wanted to give others a helping hand.
I loved the writing style and the complexity of the writing. It was easy to follow and I loved the way the author wrote the relationships between the two characters and their experiences.
Overall, I loved this book and I really loved learning about the history of orphan trains as well.
jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
I could not put this book down. I loved both Niamh (I can't call her Vivian, I just can't) and Molly, and I so desperately wanted for them both to have a happy ending. When reading the flashbacks I didn't want them to end - I wanted to know more! - but I felt the same way about the present-day story. The ending was a bit too rushed and pat for my liking, but that's my only real complaint.
rr_author's review against another edition
2.0
This book has such a beautiful cover, I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. Man, like future book cover goals for me big time!
This book is about a girl (Molly) who is in a foster home, and is in trouble for 'stealing' Jane Austen out of the library. She was kind of an emo, or gothic girl you could say, tattoo, black hair with a white stripe, etc. She decides to work for an elderly lady named Vivian, by helping clean out her attic. Then it follows the life story of the elderly lady when she was young too.
I really liked the Vivian's story, it was really fascinating. She was a really colourful and fun character, even though she had quite a few sad times in her life. I did find it a bit inappropriate in one spot, in which I had to skip over it, so not sure if it is good for YA. She was fun as an old lady too. :)
I didn't like Molly's side of the story, as it had a few swear words, and just wasn't as interesting. I think it does portray what foster homes can be like quite well, as I know a few people who have been in the system.
Overall I rate this 2/5 stars, and I don't think I would recommend it. That's just my opinion though, and others love it as I can see. :)
This book is about a girl (Molly) who is in a foster home, and is in trouble for 'stealing' Jane Austen out of the library. She was kind of an emo, or gothic girl you could say, tattoo, black hair with a white stripe, etc. She decides to work for an elderly lady named Vivian, by helping clean out her attic. Then it follows the life story of the elderly lady when she was young too.
I really liked the Vivian's story, it was really fascinating. She was a really colourful and fun character, even though she had quite a few sad times in her life. I did find it a bit inappropriate in one spot, in which I had to skip over it, so not sure if it is good for YA. She was fun as an old lady too. :)
I didn't like Molly's side of the story, as it had a few swear words, and just wasn't as interesting. I think it does portray what foster homes can be like quite well, as I know a few people who have been in the system.
Overall I rate this 2/5 stars, and I don't think I would recommend it. That's just my opinion though, and others love it as I can see. :)
hirvimaki's review against another edition
4.0
I approached this (book club) book with an assumption that it would be wholly depressing and un-enjoyable. I was happily mistaken. Yes, the theme - orphaned children - is depressing and it does depict some wholly unwholesome situations, but the tone is more hopeful than bleak and it is an interesting tale (two tales interwoven) about the present-day foster care system and it's precursor, and specifically the Orphan Trains. I was so fascinated by the idea of Orphan Trains that I took the time to look into the system, how it was founded and how it led into our modern-day foster care system.