Dreams of a Longing Heart

Orphan Train West #4

by Jane Peart

It is the spring of 1890.Three eight-year-old girls leave overcrowded, bleak Greystone orphanage near Boston and set out together on the “Orphan Train” heading West to adoptive homes. Along the way, the little girls – shy, delicate Laurel, vivacious, mischievous Toddy, and kind, scholarly Kit – make a vow to be “forever friends”. At journey’s end, they go to live with separate families in the town of Meadowridge. As the years go by, each of the girls encounters challenges and discovers love as she pursues her dream of a home of their own. Dreams of a Longing Heart is Kit’s story – the sustaining power of faith. After her grieving widowed father leaves Kit, her younger brother and baby sister at Greystone, she tries futilely to keep the family together. Yet the younger children are “placed out” and Kit is sent West on the Orphan train. She is chosen by the Hansens, a farm family ho want to adopt a girl to assist the work-worn mother of five boys. Kit rises above her dreary situation by excelling in her studies. Will she ever realize her secret longings to love and be loved?

Genres: Christian, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Christian Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Jane Johnson Peart of Asheville, North Carolina, Humboldt and Marin counties, California, and in recent years, Hawaii, passed away in 2007. She was the author of more than 60 works of suspense, historical fiction and romance, which touched the hearts and minds of thousands of readers whose correspondence she treasured. She wrote for the secular and Christian market, and is best known for the Brides of Montclair series.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine. Sweet and light read. But this one especially had me questioning the timelines for Laurel, Toddy, and Kit and if they actually lined up correctly. It didn't bother me enough for me to sit down and check, but having read these books one after the other, things just seemed off. There were also some details that didn't feel historically accurate, like ice cream being sold by the quart in roughly 1910, when people would have been making it at home. And seeing the word "robot" in a historical fiction book was also just bizarre.

As with the other two, any issues will be wrapped up with a nice tidy bow at the end. It's a fluff read.

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book! I "discovered " Jane Peart when I was a teenager, and I'm so glad I did! Her writing is wonderful! It's so thought-provoking and heart touching. Her books are guaranteed to make the reader ponder life's issues and to be thankful for the opportunities that you have.

The cast of characters is brilliant! Kit amazes me! Her sincere heart, loving nature, and serving attitude take her far in life. Cora really touched my heart. She leads a difficult life, but by taking in an orphan, her heart and mind are changed!

I look forward to reading more books by this author!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet, simple story. It jumped years between chapters to tell about many years of her life, and it was a bit confusing at times to follow/understand how much time had passed. Otherwise it was a light, easy, and enjoyable read.

[Jjean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast but enjoyable read -heart warming - thought-provoking story - well written - interesting characters - good plot with a good ending.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story with Christian base. Would be good for a young girl.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always read these as Toddy, Kit, Laurel because that made the most sense to me. Some things are out of order but that would be the case no matter what order you choose.

This was always my favorite book. Kit got into my heart and I found myself connecting with her, even though I’m not an orphan and my life was nothing like hers. Her story is very sad and yet… somehow beautiful and hopeful, in spite of all the pain. Or maybe because of it?

And I have to say, I love the covers with the three little girls on a train platform. It’s so genius.

As opposed to Toddy, this book spends just a bit of time in Kit’s childhood and focuses on her adult life.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the three in the trilogy I have enjoyed Kits story the best. The stories are very uplifting in the fact that each young woman takes what she has been given and works to make her life better. I believe if everyone would go forward to make their life better instead of dwelling on their problems this would be a better world.

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting point of view, very different from those of the girls in the first two books. The teacher is a major snob, though!

[Cws]

YA Pea