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.

This is the second book I read by Ann Tatlock, and once again I really enjoyed her storytelling. It's a great summer read.

Sweet Mercy is a coming-of-age story set during the Great Depression and Prohibition. When Eve Marryat's father loses his job, they move away from crime-ridden St. Paul, Minnesota and move back to where her father grew up in Ohio. Eve's Uncle Cyrus has invited her family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge, where Eve and her family have spent past summers. She has good memories of this idylic summer retreat and loves it the moment they arrive. During that memorable summer Eve discovers the stirrings of first love, meets a homeless young man named Link, and faces a dilemma when she realizes that things are not what they seem at the Lodge.

Eve is an interesting character. She is forthright and a little self-righteous. She also has a good sense of justice and is sensitive, kind and generous. The story is told from her first-person point-of-view and I enjoyed seeing her blossom. We see things from her perspective, her naive and innocent perspective, which was refreshing. Although at times, she came across as being much younger than her seventeen years. I found it interesting that Tatlock chose for Eve to have a very close relationship with her father. Her mother seemed absent to me. She was loving but seemed oblivious to her daughter's emotional feelings.

The historical setting really made this story memorable with the contrast of a beautiful summer vacation spot with the suit-clad, fedora-wearing gangsters that proliferated during Prohibition. Tatlock showed us the human side to these men and why some chose to break the law. She also showed us how the Depression changed people's lives. Link would often appear at the Logde along with other men who knew they would be given a free meal, and I truly liked how Eve came to develop a relationship with him.

This book was such a pleasure to read. It was clean and well-written. I am now a fan of Ann Tatlock's novels and look forward to reading Travelers Rest. If you like Christian fiction that isn't preachy, I would recommend this one.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read. V= violence (mild) for one scene with gun shooting and killing.

Dinner with Lisa by R. L. Prendergast
ISBN: 978-0-9784548-2-1
Dekko Publishing
Published: November 2011
Trade Paperback, 279 pages

Both Sandra and I received an invitation to review this book, which we enjoyed immensely. You will find Sandra's review first, then mine, followed by the giveaway.

Sandra's Review:

I LOVED this book! Of course, that it is written by a Canadian and tells a Canadian story is an added attraction.

This historical fiction is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Forty-something widower, Joseph Gaston and his 4 children, one of whom is a six-month-old baby girl, are on the move across the prairies toward a job. These are the “Dirty 30’s” and jobs are scarce, but he has one waiting for him. The family arrives in Philibuster, Alberta where Joseph’s half-brother and wife welcome them. Joseph and his children move into a rooming house and he learns that his promised job has been given to another. How will he support his children?

It seems as if life is conspiring against him as he runs up against barriers everywhere he turns. A secure job seems elusive. His growing despair and fear that he may be forced to give up his children eat away at him. There is a very poignant scene where he pawns his wedding band for a paltry $9.50. And, he is on the wrong side of some of the influential townspeople. Just as he is about to commit an unthinkable act, he learns about Lisa.

The author made me feel the despair of the times - from the hobos riding the trains to the scorching heat, to the grasshoppers and Black Blizzards that destroyed crops to the animals so desperate for food that they ate gate hinges, pieces of iron, and doorknobs! A family taking turns eating meals, parents doing without food for the sake of their children; ten- and eleven-year-old children foregoing school to sell newspapers and shine shoes; and the mounting frustration and anger as increasing numbers of people are unable to make ends meet.

The characters in the story are very well developed. We really dislike the Mayor and have doubts about the Police Chief. We are charmed by Mrs. Nye and interested by quirky Beth who “smokes and wears slacks like a man.” And where did those names come from – City Engineer, Raven Mullens, Police Chief, Montgomery Quentin, and Mayor Winfield Westmoreland – names straight out of 1930’s Hollywood! My favorite character is Joseph himself, a likeable, decent human being with plenty of fellow feeling and deep love for his family.

I like a book that teaches me something and Dinner with Lisa does that. Who knew that there was such prejudice and discrimination against Chinese people in Canada? Who knew that “some two million men and thousands of women illegally rode the trains that crisscrossed the North American continent” because they could no longer afford the basics of staying alive where they were?

Mr. Prendergast is also very descriptive in his writing. For example, “the train shuddered as if a chill had run down its spine” or “his tiny moustache, as thin as if it had been penciled in above his lip, was almost inappropriately delicate on a person of such immense stature” (my Dad had a moustache like that). The one negative aspect of the writing is the use of many religious expletives and swear words throughout the story.

Dinner With Lisa has all the elements of a good story – humor, good guys, bad guys, trickery, deceit, murder, hope, and the enduring human spirit that overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Laura's Review:

Joseph Gaston is a widower with four children living during the hard years of the Great Depression. He leaves Ontario to travel westward toward the prairies to join his brother and in search of a better life for his family. One thing after another goes wrong for Joseph who struggles to feed and keep his family together. The local mayor is a selfish, greedy man and he dislikes Joseph who is a moral man standing up for what is right.

Prendergast evokes this desperate era well through not only Joseph's life but that of the townsfolk. However, although it was a time of poverty, racism and despair, this book was not depressing. Joseph lives on hope and hard work and we live it with him. His four children are a big part of the story and, as a mother, I liked reading about their antics at a time when kids found innovative ways to entertain themselves and also help the family survive. We also get a feel for the times when the townsfolk got together at Hoogaboom's, the local convenient store, to listen to the the news and episodes of The Shadow on the radio.

I enjoyed how Prendergast infused small scenes of humour in the story, showing that despite hard times, humour helps to makes life bearable. Joseph was a great character, a father who loved his family and used everything he had, generosity and ingenuity to help his family survive. I was rooting for him throughout the whole story. Beth was a compelling character and I wish her character had been more fleshed out and some of the backstory throughout the novel limited. The plot held twists and turns, and I never knew how it was all going to end for Joseph and his family. The ending held promise.

This was a great Canadian novel, and I learned more about the history of my country. It is a hopeful but sobering story that will stay with me long after I've read it.

Note: This book is rated P (mild) = some profanity.
This book is on tour with Premier Virtual Author Book Tours. To read other reviews, visit the other tour stops.
After a number of years working in sales, marketing and management for several companies Rod spent a year's sabbatical surfing and reading in New Zealand and, free of business pressures, he began to write. Those first words became the backbone of The Impact of a Single Event—which was long listed for the Independent Publishers Book Award for literary fiction, and which became a national bestseller in Canada. Spurred on by the success of his first novel, he took another sabbatical and wrote Dinner with Lisa. He is currently working on his next book.

I let out a sigh of satisfaction and contentment as I finished reading the last page of this book, realizing that YA historical fiction is fast becoming one of my favourite genres. I simply loved this beautiful book, enjoying it to the point that I did not want it to end.

It takes place in Atlanta, Georgia in 1933 during the Depression. Seventeen year-old Mary Dobbs, daughter of an itinerant preacher from Chicago, arrives poor but full of life and religious zeal to live with her wealthy, generous aunt so she can attend a prestigious school. Anne Perri, whose family suffers a tragedy and great financial loss is befriended by Dobbs. Their friendship and their consequent transformation as individuals is the crux of this story, but there is so much more!

There are memorable characters in this book, well-drawn out and believable. My favourite were Dobbs, Coolie, and Parthenia, the eight-year-old black servant girl. These girls had spunk and were not afraid to speak their minds. From the first page, the author easily kept my interest with a good set of characters, a great plot and a setting she easily brought to life so that I could see and feel the desperation of both the dirt-poor and the wealthy as they dealt with the life-changing events of the Depression years. Both Dobbs and Perri had to come to terms with what was important in life versus what was desirable.

This book deals with various worthy themes: faith in God, dealing with financial loss, grieving over the loss of a close family member, sickness, friendships, forgiveness, social status, and racial segregation.

As I was reading I couldn't help thinking this story would make a good movie series for PBS's Masterpiece. The setting was so interesting and I learned a few things about the Depression years in Midwest and Southern US, such as the Alms Houses, the Dust Bowl, and the traditions of high school kids in the 1930s, like pop-calling (when boys popped in to see the girls at their homes) and the splendour of their sorority dances.

Even though I didn't agree with the frenetic preaching of the evangelists of the “Sawdust Trail” at revival tent meetings, I did appreciate the wholesome goodness of Dobbs' family and their zeal to help the poor and those in need of faith-strengthening. The author managed to write a good story where the characters had to find a balance in their lives because extremes (whether poor or wealthy) did not lead to happiness, but rather faith in God led to true happiness.

This book is a clean read, and I recommend it to teens and adults interested in a good book with teens in the 1930s. Many of the issues teens faced back then are still relevant today. This is a truly enjoyable book that I will pass on to my daughter as she gets older.