“I loved this book: its absorbing back-and-forth story, its vivid history, its eminently loveable characters. Kline reminds us that we never really lose anyone or anything or-perhaps most importantly-ourselves.” - Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle “In ORPHAN TRAIN, Christina Baker Kline seamlessly knits together the past and present of two women, one young and one old. With compassion and delicacy Kline presents a little-known chapter of American history and draws comparisons with the modern-day foster care system.” - Library Journal “A compelling story about loss, adaptability, and courage. 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. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they appear. Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine, the memories of her upbringing rendered a hazy blur. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude?Īs a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship.īetween 18, so-called 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.

“A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of America’s history.

Swim back to me by ann packer