This novel is the fictionalized life story of Christina Olson, the woman depicted in the famous painting Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth. I love books that educate me, teach me about art and immerse me into a world wholly different than mine. The author certainly succeeded in doing this. I'm unaware of how much of what is true about Christina is explored in the novel but it's easy to see that the author must have well-researched the real people she writes about, in particular the artist Andrew Wyeth and his muse Christina Olson.

Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth, 1948

The author uses a dual timeline starting from when Christina, aged forty-six, first meets Wyeth in 1939 when he was twenty-two, and then going back to 1896 to Christina's childhood. The story moves back and forth until we get to the point when he paints the above painting in 1948. Although we get to see the warm relationship that Wyeth shared with Christina as he pretty much used her house as his painting studio, most of the story is about Christina herself, told in the first person. It almost feels like I was reading her memoir.

What is striking about this novel is that the author truly grasps and brings alive the rural farm life Christina led in Cushing, Maine. And she creates a portrait of Christina as a strong-willed self-sacrificing woman who suffered a debilitating illness. Christina was stubborn enough never to use a wheelchair even if that meant she had to crawl and drag herself both indoors and outdoors to move around. By using the first person POV, we truly become immersed in Christina's world and how she saw her own life. We get to see her struggles with her illness, her duty to family and her heartbreak with her first love. Rural farm life, especially harsh in the winter, is already isolating enough but Christina lived with the added difficulty of no electricity or running water.

I was in awe of this woman who was content with this life even as she stubbornly refused to better her life and had to deal with its hardships. Several times I found myself doing research on the Internet to learn more about Christina, the painting and Andrew Wyeth. This is very much a character-driven novel and at times the mundane aspects of her simple life were depressing. Overall, this is a beautifully written novel that honors the life of the mysterious woman that seems to haunt one of America's famous twentieth century paintings.

Andrew Wyeth with Christina Olson, photo taken by Richard Meryman, author of Andrew Wyeth: A Spoken Self- Portrait

To read more reviews, visit Christina Baker Kline's page on TLC Book Tours.

About the Author:

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.