I was eager to read this book after seeing all the positive reviews it was getting. I was not disappointed. This was a poignant story about friendship, second chances, and learning to make peace with one's painful past.

Christina Baker Kline’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel—the captivating story of a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to long-buried questions…now with an extended scene that addresses the number one question readers ask, and an excerpt from Kline’s upcoming novel A Piece of the World.

Between 1854 and 1929, 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. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude?

As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. 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. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past.

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 as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they appear. 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.

Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship.

My Review:

I was curious from the moment I saw the title. Christina Baker Kline writes a touching, sad yet uplifting novel about a little-known part of American history, the Orphan Train Movement, which lasted from 1853 to the early 1900s with more than 120,000 orphaned or abandoned children placed. Orphan Trains stopped at more than 45 states across the country as well as Canada and Mexico and many of the children were first-generation immigrants from Italy, Poland and Ireland.

The story has a dual timelime, which was well done. It's both the story of  91 year-old Vivian Daly, a wealthy woman, and 17 year-old girl Molly Ayer, who has been in and out of foster homes since she was a child. They meet when Molly gets a chance to do community work by helping Vivian clean out her attic. They develop a friendship as Vivian unearths memories that she shares as they go through her belongings.

The author skillfully brings the 1920s Depression era to life. The writing flows smoothly and the author's meticulous research shines in this book. From a small town in Ireland, to the chaotic streets of New York teeming with immigrants and finally to the rural Midwest, the author is seamlessly able to create the settings with period details. The contemporary setting of coastal Maine is also brought to life.

Although I enjoyed the historical aspect of the story more than the contemporary one, Molly's story helped the reader see how similar her situation was to Vivian's. They both experienced foster care and had painful memories from being abandoned and foisted on other people. Vivian's story was more complex and longer, therefore I felt she was more prominent in the story and well-developed as a character.

My heart ached for those orphan children, and this story made me want to hug my kids more. One thing that stood out for me is that although there were those who mistreated orphans, the acts of kindness of a few made all the difference, reinforcing the fact that when it is in our possibility to do good, we must not hesitate to do it. It can make all the difference in the life of a child, or anyone for that matter.

I loved the way the author ends the book. It was the perfect ending to a bittersweet story. I also appreciated the author notes and insights at the back of the book. This was a poignant story about friendship, second chances, and learning to make peace with one's painful past.

Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.



Christina Baker Kline is the author of five novels. She lives outside of New York City and on the coast of Maine.

Find out more about Kline at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, but it surpassed my expectations big time. I can say that Fostergirls will be counted among my favourite reads of 2011.

Sadie is a 15 year-old foster girl who has been in the system since she was three, found in the streets begging for food with her brother and no sign of their mother. Since then she was separated from her brother and has lived in twelve different foster homes. Now in another new group home in a small town, Sadie wants to get out of the system and live on her own. She's a tough girl who prefers to go unnoticed and keep to herself, but on her first day in school she meets Rhiannon, a girl her age who talks non-stop and wants to befriend her.

From the moment I picked up this book I wanted to read non-stop. The author captures Sadie and her world so well, that I became engrossed in it very quickly. The story is told from Sadie's point-of-view and I loved being inside her head and seeing things through her young and streetwise eyes. The author's professional experience in the field of education shone through in this novel and she portrayed the challenges both of the foster care parents and the kids, as well as the school system so realistically.

Sadie and Rhiannon are so different from one another and yet they share the frustration of being different from other teens. Their characters are so well-developed, unique, and memorable. Sadie is tough, used to looking out for herself, not allowing herself to care because if she does, she will then feel disappointment which she's experienced too many times in her life. But she is also vulnerable and needs to be loved. Rhiannon loves to take care of others and even when others are unkind to her she is strong and looks beyond their behaviours.

The author handles the rough scenes in this book well. She manages to show us the life of girls in foster care, who've come from painful situations no child should go through, without using any profanity or explicit descriptions. Sure, the language was crude at times but so realistic and without being offensive. This book also explores learning disabilities and some of the programs being implemented to help students who have trouble reading and writing.

Overall, this was an inspiring and revealing book. I highly recommend it to teens, social workers, parents, and teachers. What a great read!