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Forgetting Tabitha
Raised on a farm, Tabitha Salt, the daughter of Irish Immigrants, leads a bucolic and sheltered existence. When tragedy strikes the family, Tabitha and her mother are forced to move to the notorious Five Points District in New York City, know for it's brothels, gangs, gambling halls, corrupt politicians, and thieves. As they struggle to survive in their new living conditions, tragedy strikes again. Young Tabitha resorts to life alone on the streets of New York, dreaming of a happier future.
280 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
October 8, 2013
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
Forgetting Tabitha threw me for a loop. The blurb described a touching portrait of a child's experiences on the orphan train when in truth Julie Dewey's story is a much stronger tale about both the immediate impact and long term repercussions endured by those entrusted to the care of the program.
Far from being a children's story, Forgetting Tabitha touches on some pretty heavy content including, but not limited to, the world's oldest profession. Now I don't much care one way or the other, but I will say I appreciate the courage Dewey exhibits in taking this story where she felt it needed to go and in no way criticize her for driving home the intensity of this awful reality in her narrative.
Similarly, Dewey's description of the Five Points is both bleak and violent. Overcrowded and poor, life in this section of the city was a daily struggle for its inhabitants and here again, I liked that Dewey wasn't intimidated by graphic subject matter or tempted to tone it down to make it more palatable for modern readers.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the sections that focused on the orphan train, but it was the idea that these kids were leaving difficult and dangerous circumstances and weren't always landing on their feet that captured my attention. Some were essentially hired hands, others little more than indentured servants, and while a fair few managed to find loving homes, their lives were often dogged by the shadow of the pasts. I knew the material fairly well going into this piece, but even so, was impressed with Dewey's treatment of it.
When all is said and done, Forgetting Tabitha is not a book to be judged by its cover. Heart-wrenchingly poignant, Tabitha's experiences along with those of the other orphan train riders are highly indicative of the history that inspired Dewey to put pen to paper and create this illuminating story of endurance, fortitude and hope.
Forgetting Tabitha threw me for a loop. The blurb described a touching portrait of a child's experiences on the orphan train when in truth Julie Dewey's story is a much stronger tale about both the immediate impact and long term repercussions endured by those entrusted to the care of the program.
Far from being a children's story, Forgetting Tabitha touches on some pretty heavy content including, but not limited to, the world's oldest profession. Now I don't much care one way or the other, but I will say I appreciate the courage Dewey exhibits in taking this story where she felt it needed to go and in no way criticize her for driving home the intensity of this awful reality in her narrative.
Similarly, Dewey's description of the Five Points is both bleak and violent. Overcrowded and poor, life in this section of the city was a daily struggle for its inhabitants and here again, I liked that Dewey wasn't intimidated by graphic subject matter or tempted to tone it down to make it more palatable for modern readers.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the sections that focused on the orphan train, but it was the idea that these kids were leaving difficult and dangerous circumstances and weren't always landing on their feet that captured my attention. Some were essentially hired hands, others little more than indentured servants, and while a fair few managed to find loving homes, their lives were often dogged by the shadow of the pasts. I knew the material fairly well going into this piece, but even so, was impressed with Dewey's treatment of it.
When all is said and done, Forgetting Tabitha is not a book to be judged by its cover. Heart-wrenchingly poignant, Tabitha's experiences along with those of the other orphan train riders are highly indicative of the history that inspired Dewey to put pen to paper and create this illuminating story of endurance, fortitude and hope.
June 24, 2014
It's not a great book, but was interesting enough, though it was a little confusing with several different characters having chapters in first person.
I had a lot of trouble accepting that people in the 1870's would be referring to psychotherapists. Clinical psychology wasn't even invented until 1896, it's very doubtful the average person of the time would even know what it was, and there certainly weren't therapists as we know them today.
When I'm reading historical fiction it's jarring inaccuracies like these that keep me from giving a higher rating.
I had a lot of trouble accepting that people in the 1870's would be referring to psychotherapists. Clinical psychology wasn't even invented until 1896, it's very doubtful the average person of the time would even know what it was, and there certainly weren't therapists as we know them today.
When I'm reading historical fiction it's jarring inaccuracies like these that keep me from giving a higher rating.
July 9, 2015
This is a story with real potential, but it really needs a strong editor.
Overall, it's not the worst book I've ever read. With a good editor and some key changes this would be a much better story.
Overall, it's not the worst book I've ever read. With a good editor and some key changes this would be a much better story.
March 22, 2016
I was attracted to this book based solely on the fact that it was a historical fiction read that dealt with orphan trains. I was introduced to this little known part of American history a couple of years ago with Christina Baker Kline's book, aptly named 'Orphan Train', and it remains a very interesting part of the US's history.
Forgetting Tabitha starts out strong with good descriptions of what life was like in New York City for those less fortunate - the poverty, the lack of hygiene and education of children etc. But as I continued to read, my feelings for the book began to wane and unfortunately that trend continued for the remainder of the book.
There are a few reasons for my lower rating. While I enjoyed the orphan train aspect, it was short lived within the book. As the book progresses the focus and even the style of the writing seemed to change and became weaker - it almost felt like it was written by different authors. The middle and end of the book had various characters who take over the reigns of the story but these points of view caused the story to feel muddled (the 'too many cooks in the kitchen' phenomenon) and also diminished my connection to Tabitha. Gone was the gritty look at NYC and in its place we're left with many of the secondary characters feeling like clichés with the plots, big and small, feeling rather predictable.
Dewey has some good ideas but with some editing, more complicated plots and more time to connect with the main character this book could have been great. She has written some rather striking scenes showcasing the violence towards women at the time, specifically women in the world's 'oldest profession'. Many of Dewey's story lines had good promise but for the second half of the book they started to feel contrived and predictable with some of the issues raised feeling too simplified and dealt with too easily or believably for the time.
While I applaud the author for writing about this era of American history Forgetting Tabitha was a much lighter read than I was expecting. It was an emotional and heart-wrenching time but unfortunately the plot, characters and writing weren't as strong as I was hoping for. Readers who enjoy lighter historical fiction (author Josephine Cox' work come to mind) may enjoy this book.
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to author Julie Dewey and HF Virtual Blog Tour for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Forgetting Tabitha starts out strong with good descriptions of what life was like in New York City for those less fortunate - the poverty, the lack of hygiene and education of children etc. But as I continued to read, my feelings for the book began to wane and unfortunately that trend continued for the remainder of the book.
There are a few reasons for my lower rating. While I enjoyed the orphan train aspect, it was short lived within the book. As the book progresses the focus and even the style of the writing seemed to change and became weaker - it almost felt like it was written by different authors. The middle and end of the book had various characters who take over the reigns of the story but these points of view caused the story to feel muddled (the 'too many cooks in the kitchen' phenomenon) and also diminished my connection to Tabitha. Gone was the gritty look at NYC and in its place we're left with many of the secondary characters feeling like clichés with the plots, big and small, feeling rather predictable.
Dewey has some good ideas but with some editing, more complicated plots and more time to connect with the main character this book could have been great. She has written some rather striking scenes showcasing the violence towards women at the time, specifically women in the world's 'oldest profession'. Many of Dewey's story lines had good promise but for the second half of the book they started to feel contrived and predictable with some of the issues raised feeling too simplified and dealt with too easily or believably for the time.
While I applaud the author for writing about this era of American history Forgetting Tabitha was a much lighter read than I was expecting. It was an emotional and heart-wrenching time but unfortunately the plot, characters and writing weren't as strong as I was hoping for. Readers who enjoy lighter historical fiction (author Josephine Cox' work come to mind) may enjoy this book.
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to author Julie Dewey and HF Virtual Blog Tour for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 1, 2014
Strange book.
Starts out interesting, but in the middle it becomes a diary of sexual trysts + infidelities, completely losing the original plot. I ended up skipping 1/3 of the book + went to the epilogue. Too bad the story lost its way. It would've been much better had it followed the original plot. Not everyone enjoys reading about sexual exploits.
Starts out interesting, but in the middle it becomes a diary of sexual trysts + infidelities, completely losing the original plot. I ended up skipping 1/3 of the book + went to the epilogue. Too bad the story lost its way. It would've been much better had it followed the original plot. Not everyone enjoys reading about sexual exploits.
September 27, 2014
Not Historically Accurate
The book started out fine, but the plot took a sudden turn and became quite nonsensical. Not worth the money!
The book started out fine, but the plot took a sudden turn and became quite nonsensical. Not worth the money!
July 10, 2016
I wanted to like this book. Tells the story of a young girl sent on the Orphan's Train from New York. The story starts out being told by Tabitha when she's old. Her thoughts of New York are harsh, gritty and probably true to life. There are gangs, and lots of violence. Tabitha's mother dies, and Tabitha is put out on the street and 'rescued' by a small group of homeless children. But Tabitha stays true to her mother's teachings, even to trying to brush her teeth after every meal. She finally gets desparate and goes to a nun who puts her with a group of children being sent out West to be adopted or in most cases, taken to be used as an indentured servant. But after riding the train a couple time, she and the baby who has become dependent on her are adopted by the most loving, prosperous parents...too good to be true.
Then we shift to the life of one of her friends, Scotty, in New York, and tells how he fared, somehow landing in the same town as Tabitha, now known as Mary. Scotty, of course, does not have it so easy.
Then some years later, when they are all going to school, the baby, Edmund, see Mary and Scotty are falling in love and gets jealous. Edmund steals and gets Scotty blamed for it, and then mutilates animals on the farm where Scotty works. Mary's family does not approve the match because Edmund is lying about Scotty. They think Scotty is not good enough for Mary.
Shift time again, Scotty has run off to New York to find two siblings, becomes a boxer to make money to buy the farm he worked on; Edmund falls in love with a prostitute, and Mary runs away to NY to find Scotty. She returns home, pregnant, and her adoptive family takes her in, forgives her, accepts Scotty (this is the mid 1860s). Edmund's prostitute is abused by a psycho policeman, gets amnesia, recovers physically, becomes a shop owner, until the policeman shows back up again.
All the time, these rescued children are using language far beyond their education and upbringing. The premise of the book is good, the execution is quite different, sometimes unbeliveable and at other times, just silly.
Then we shift to the life of one of her friends, Scotty, in New York, and tells how he fared, somehow landing in the same town as Tabitha, now known as Mary. Scotty, of course, does not have it so easy.
Then some years later, when they are all going to school, the baby, Edmund, see Mary and Scotty are falling in love and gets jealous. Edmund steals and gets Scotty blamed for it, and then mutilates animals on the farm where Scotty works. Mary's family does not approve the match because Edmund is lying about Scotty. They think Scotty is not good enough for Mary.
Shift time again, Scotty has run off to New York to find two siblings, becomes a boxer to make money to buy the farm he worked on; Edmund falls in love with a prostitute, and Mary runs away to NY to find Scotty. She returns home, pregnant, and her adoptive family takes her in, forgives her, accepts Scotty (this is the mid 1860s). Edmund's prostitute is abused by a psycho policeman, gets amnesia, recovers physically, becomes a shop owner, until the policeman shows back up again.
All the time, these rescued children are using language far beyond their education and upbringing. The premise of the book is good, the execution is quite different, sometimes unbeliveable and at other times, just silly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2014
This story was pretty decent, however there were a large number of issues I found within it. References to a refrigerator were interesting considering they weren't invented until the 1900s and the time period of the story doesn't support the use of them.
The titles of the chapters were occasionally helpful in understanding the person telling the story, but some chapters didn't have that helpful part, so it wasn't always clear as to who was telling the story.
I think it could have benefitted from some clearer character voice, though. Also, it needed to be proofread for some typographical errors and word mistakes.
Overall the story was good.
The titles of the chapters were occasionally helpful in understanding the person telling the story, but some chapters didn't have that helpful part, so it wasn't always clear as to who was telling the story.
I think it could have benefitted from some clearer character voice, though. Also, it needed to be proofread for some typographical errors and word mistakes.
Overall the story was good.
January 20, 2015
Tabitha crossed the ocean with her family in early in the 1900's. She is the only one who survived. She lived in the streets before she found the nun's that took children on the "Orphan train" from New York to states West to try to find homes for them with people who either wanted to adopt or farmer's who needed help, etc. She was given a new name and was told to forget her old life and start a new life with a new name. This is her story and the people she met.
A heart wrenching story that keeps the reader turning the pages until the end.
I'm adding Julie Dewey to my list of authors I would like to read again.
A heart wrenching story that keeps the reader turning the pages until the end.
I'm adding Julie Dewey to my list of authors I would like to read again.
July 10, 2014
The story of two orphans who were adopted by different families but had a common background. As they grew up and grew even closer they fell in love and wanted a life together. The young girl's family didn't feel the young man was worthy and tried keeping them apart. He left to try and make his fortune to prove he was worthy.....the night before he left they sneaked out to meet and the young lady ended up pregnant.
I'm sure this depicts a true picture of how things were in those days and I found myself cheering for the couple to have things work out for them
I'm sure this depicts a true picture of how things were in those days and I found myself cheering for the couple to have things work out for them
January 4, 2021
Two authors?
This book has a very good start. Starting with chapter 5 it feels like someone else was writing the story. The style changed and the story became unbelievable. The story went from enjoyable to almost painful to read.
This book has a very good start. Starting with chapter 5 it feels like someone else was writing the story. The style changed and the story became unbelievable. The story went from enjoyable to almost painful to read.
June 24, 2019
Tabitha and her parents lived on a farm in NY. The first chapter talks about her birth in 1850 and then in the second chapter she is 10 years old and living with her mom in New York City and it is mentioned in passing that they lost the farm and her father is dead. Her mother passes away and she tries to survive the streets of New York. She gets on an orphan train with the hope of finding a new home and a young boy, Edmund, attaches himself to her. They finally end up adopted by families in Binghamton and living close to each other. That is the end of the orphan train portion of the story. The rest is told from different perspectives, Scotty who she knew from her street days in NY, Edmund, Gert, a prostitute that Edmund falls in love with. It was badly in need of an editor. Tabitha's new mom used to make her brownies which weren't documented until 1893 making Tabitha 43, same with jimmies for ice cream cones. They really came about in 1930. Those kind of things just made me crazy. I had gotten this for free on my kindle and it was definitely worth what I paid for it, nothing.
May 8, 2021
You know the old adage of “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Yeah. It still holds true. This book looks totally innocent. I mean look at that sweet little face. And the story must be about a little orphan girl who rides the orphan train, right? In fact, the summary on Amazon even leads us to believe that is what the book is about.
Well, the first half of the book is about the orphan trains. The author does a good job of portraying the horrors of life for orphans and the poor in New York City in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. Ms. Dewey also adequately describes the orphan trains, their purpose, and life for the children who rode the trains.
Then suddenly in the second half of the book, it becomes full of all sorts of sexual descriptions and horrible sexual atrocities. The author may argue that it was necessary to the story, but really, it didn’t need to be described in such detail. It wasn’t even titillating; it was just awful, especially when one of the characters is horribly raped.
Also, in the second half of the book, the writing style changed and became confusing and bizarre. In the first half of the book, Tabitha tells the story in her voice. Then suddenly all these other characters are telling the story in their voice and every chapter jumps around to somebody else talking, even characters who play a minor role. It just feels really disjointed and it feels like the author suddenly finished writing about the orphan train and now she didn’t feel like the book was long enough and so she started writing all sorts of crazy sexual stuff in a different writing style.
And finally, there are things that just don’t jive with the era. Tabitha is adopted into a middle class family in Binghamton, NY during the Victorian era. She becomes pregnant though unwed (who’s surprised with all the sex!?) and her parents are just very accepting and understanding and discussions are going on about having a very public and fancy wedding with her obviously pregnant. Ummmm, in a middle class family in the Victorian era? I don’t think so. It just felt very 2013 (date of publication) to me. And then one of the characters is creating all this soap and oils and so on. OK, I know our grandmothers made their own soap and knew a lot about herbs, so this didn’t feel quite so out of the era, but it also seemed to be written by somebody living in 2013 who is very into essential oils.
Well, the first half of the book is about the orphan trains. The author does a good job of portraying the horrors of life for orphans and the poor in New York City in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. Ms. Dewey also adequately describes the orphan trains, their purpose, and life for the children who rode the trains.
Then suddenly in the second half of the book, it becomes full of all sorts of sexual descriptions and horrible sexual atrocities. The author may argue that it was necessary to the story, but really, it didn’t need to be described in such detail. It wasn’t even titillating; it was just awful, especially when one of the characters is horribly raped.
Also, in the second half of the book, the writing style changed and became confusing and bizarre. In the first half of the book, Tabitha tells the story in her voice. Then suddenly all these other characters are telling the story in their voice and every chapter jumps around to somebody else talking, even characters who play a minor role. It just feels really disjointed and it feels like the author suddenly finished writing about the orphan train and now she didn’t feel like the book was long enough and so she started writing all sorts of crazy sexual stuff in a different writing style.
And finally, there are things that just don’t jive with the era. Tabitha is adopted into a middle class family in Binghamton, NY during the Victorian era. She becomes pregnant though unwed (who’s surprised with all the sex!?) and her parents are just very accepting and understanding and discussions are going on about having a very public and fancy wedding with her obviously pregnant. Ummmm, in a middle class family in the Victorian era? I don’t think so. It just felt very 2013 (date of publication) to me. And then one of the characters is creating all this soap and oils and so on. OK, I know our grandmothers made their own soap and knew a lot about herbs, so this didn’t feel quite so out of the era, but it also seemed to be written by somebody living in 2013 who is very into essential oils.
February 13, 2017
Great historical fiction.
This was a cute story of historical fiction. At times it had me crying, lots of heartfelt moments. This bit of history entwined in the lives of Tabitha, other orphans, friends, and family was educational, and above all, entertaining. I learned where the term "boxcar children" came from. I like how the author gives the reader questions at the end of the novel to ponder on. Four stars because I thought the later chapters were out of place, being in first person of new characters. Though I enjoyed the chapters, it interrupted the flow of the story a bit.
This was a cute story of historical fiction. At times it had me crying, lots of heartfelt moments. This bit of history entwined in the lives of Tabitha, other orphans, friends, and family was educational, and above all, entertaining. I learned where the term "boxcar children" came from. I like how the author gives the reader questions at the end of the novel to ponder on. Four stars because I thought the later chapters were out of place, being in first person of new characters. Though I enjoyed the chapters, it interrupted the flow of the story a bit.
December 7, 2014
This book is nitty-gritty; don't read it if you aren't prepared for the realities of a life faced by orphan-train children. It's earthy - written about a time when children weren't shielded from the harsh realities of life.
I found the story fascinating, and could sympathize even with the characters I didn't particularly like. It's a good thing it was such a good story. The author allows her characters to retain the qualities that make them unique, recognizing that not all people can or will conform to expectations they had no hand in setting.
What severely detracted from my enjoyment were *consistent* errors of grammar, punctuation, and word choice. The author doesn't recognize the word "confident", apparently, as she uses "confidant" throughout. She juxtaposes "heal" and "heel", uses "low and behold" instead of "lo and behold", and, just as you think you're close enough to the end you won't see any more language atrocities, has a character graduate "magna cume laude".
Dialog is forced and stilted - in some cases so far removed from what a realistic character of that time, heritage, education, and social status would use that it hurts. The story is set in the 1860s, with only the briefest fleeting mention of a rather significant war which affected even Binghamton. While we know that children of the upper classes got good educations, to have Edmund clerking and studying for law at 14 is somewhat incredible. Gert goes from a pre-teen to a fully developed adult with customers in the space of weeks?
I found the story fascinating, and could sympathize even with the characters I didn't particularly like. It's a good thing it was such a good story. The author allows her characters to retain the qualities that make them unique, recognizing that not all people can or will conform to expectations they had no hand in setting.
What severely detracted from my enjoyment were *consistent* errors of grammar, punctuation, and word choice. The author doesn't recognize the word "confident", apparently, as she uses "confidant" throughout. She juxtaposes "heal" and "heel", uses "low and behold" instead of "lo and behold", and, just as you think you're close enough to the end you won't see any more language atrocities, has a character graduate "magna cume laude".
Dialog is forced and stilted - in some cases so far removed from what a realistic character of that time, heritage, education, and social status would use that it hurts. The story is set in the 1860s, with only the briefest fleeting mention of a rather significant war which affected even Binghamton. While we know that children of the upper classes got good educations, to have Edmund clerking and studying for law at 14 is somewhat incredible. Gert goes from a pre-teen to a fully developed adult with customers in the space of weeks?
November 15, 2015
I have read several fictional accounts of the orphan trains all from Christian writers and my enjoyment of them led me to "purchase" this book when the kindle edition was offered for free on Amazon. I'm glad I read it. This was more raw and a bit rougher than the Christian versions but that also makes it more realistic.
These kids had a tough lot and absolutely nothing about their lives was sweet and simple. In that regard the plight of orphans or unwanted children today is not really much different. I believe that is why these books call out to me. I am an adoptive mom of four special needs children brought to our family through the state foster care system. I see myself in Pap as I struggle sometimes to identify with who my children really are as they are somewhat foreign to me but in the end I pray that my children see me more like Edna...proud to be their mom and loving who they are.
For all of my reviews visit Blessed and Bewildered
These kids had a tough lot and absolutely nothing about their lives was sweet and simple. In that regard the plight of orphans or unwanted children today is not really much different. I believe that is why these books call out to me. I am an adoptive mom of four special needs children brought to our family through the state foster care system. I see myself in Pap as I struggle sometimes to identify with who my children really are as they are somewhat foreign to me but in the end I pray that my children see me more like Edna...proud to be their mom and loving who they are.
For all of my reviews visit Blessed and Bewildered
February 18, 2016
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
I wanted to love this book I enjoy the era the author attempted to set her tale in, but the books were riddled with anachronistic wording. When writing a historical fiction an author must carefully research the era they are setting their piece in if they want their work to sound authentic.
I found the number of and quality of the sex scenes in this book very off-putting. It is understandable that there be some, do to the characters and situations in the novel, but I felt they over done and tasteless.
While this book doesn't have as many grammatical errors as some self-published works, it still had too many for my taste.
This author has promise, but needs to work more on her historical research research if she wants to produce quality historical fiction.
I wanted to love this book I enjoy the era the author attempted to set her tale in, but the books were riddled with anachronistic wording. When writing a historical fiction an author must carefully research the era they are setting their piece in if they want their work to sound authentic.
I found the number of and quality of the sex scenes in this book very off-putting. It is understandable that there be some, do to the characters and situations in the novel, but I felt they over done and tasteless.
While this book doesn't have as many grammatical errors as some self-published works, it still had too many for my taste.
This author has promise, but needs to work more on her historical research research if she wants to produce quality historical fiction.
September 21, 2014
This was a very interesting story set in the the mid-to-late 1800's. It gave a personal look of the tragic fate of many of the orphans and neglected children who had to roam the streets of New York and do what is necessary to survive. With this in mind the characters allow you to experience their life stories. Tabitha (Mary, her name given to her by the Sister who supervised the orphan train) is a very strong girl who meets others in her predicament either on the streets or on the train. It gives an interesting viewpoint of the children and immigrants who turn to the fight ring to earn an income. Descriptions of the conditions of the Four Corners region of New York were interesting and it was amazing how people lived and survived.
September 25, 2014
I enjoyed this story. It's similar to Christine Baker Kine's Orphan Train. Both books were exceptional reads and I would recommend them to anyone.
I love reading about historical events and learning what life was like back then. I never knew about orphan trains or the background on them. It's unsettling to learn what children went through in the late 1800s and the means to survive. I can't imagine. This story was very sad and hard to read at times. I'm sure this depicts a horrific picture of what life was like back then. It's truly remarkable that some are lucky enough to find wonderful and caring parents. You find yourself cheering on the characters and hoping that the odds are in their favor. It's a great, great read!
I love reading about historical events and learning what life was like back then. I never knew about orphan trains or the background on them. It's unsettling to learn what children went through in the late 1800s and the means to survive. I can't imagine. This story was very sad and hard to read at times. I'm sure this depicts a horrific picture of what life was like back then. It's truly remarkable that some are lucky enough to find wonderful and caring parents. You find yourself cheering on the characters and hoping that the odds are in their favor. It's a great, great read!
October 5, 2014
This is an interesting book on the orphan trains, that were used to take orphans, or half orphans from New York City, to homes west of New York. It describes the conditions children lived in during that time in New York City, with immigrants from many different countries coming into America. It tells of the gangs, the stealing to survive, and the abuse of children. It takes a few of these children on the trains, and the stops they made, where people would chose children to adopt, or as workers. It carried children through their growing up years. One couple had met in New York, and later married, and the book takes us through their lives to old age. It was an interesting book of the struggles people went through when they came to America, and the strengths they developed.
June 2, 2019
Wow. This one was weird. Probably deserves only one star, but I did develop some interest in the characters to want to find out the ending. I felt bad that this was on my shelf for about five years. It got lumped in with my school books since it was touted as historical fiction. I figured a story about orphans would be depressing no matter how well it was written which also kept me from picking it up sooner.
Here's the thing. A lot of people praising this book think it's accurate. I'm wondering if they didn't finish the book, stopped reading after Tabitha got on the train and gave it four or five stars to impress their book club. This is NOT historical fiction. I have a degree in history and I've read quite a bit of enjoyable, accurate historical fiction. This was nowhere close.
This was a weird romance novel that happens to be set in the 1800s. That doesn't make it historical. Too many anachronisms to count. Too convenient that these people all just happen to meet and end up in the same town. The last couple chapters apparently had free train rides back and forth to New York for everyone. It was completely unrealistic. What's sad is it started off pretty normal! It WAS a story of an orphan train rider then went crazy focusing on other characters and especially the author's creepy rape fantasies which really had no business in this book.
The editing is horrible. At first I thought the spelling mistakes were made because the character was spelling it wrong in her recollections. Nope. The author can't spell and apparently neither can the proofreaders or editors. One chapter suddenly switched from the female first person point of view to a paragraph that was first person from the male. Then it switched right back to the female first person. How does that happen??
So disappointing on so many levels especially since the author seemed to have had a good idea for a story, but in the end decided to write about sex instead of orphans.
Here's the thing. A lot of people praising this book think it's accurate. I'm wondering if they didn't finish the book, stopped reading after Tabitha got on the train and gave it four or five stars to impress their book club. This is NOT historical fiction. I have a degree in history and I've read quite a bit of enjoyable, accurate historical fiction. This was nowhere close.
This was a weird romance novel that happens to be set in the 1800s. That doesn't make it historical. Too many anachronisms to count. Too convenient that these people all just happen to meet and end up in the same town. The last couple chapters apparently had free train rides back and forth to New York for everyone. It was completely unrealistic. What's sad is it started off pretty normal! It WAS a story of an orphan train rider then went crazy focusing on other characters and especially the author's creepy rape fantasies which really had no business in this book.
The editing is horrible. At first I thought the spelling mistakes were made because the character was spelling it wrong in her recollections. Nope. The author can't spell and apparently neither can the proofreaders or editors. One chapter suddenly switched from the female first person point of view to a paragraph that was first person from the male. Then it switched right back to the female first person. How does that happen??
So disappointing on so many levels especially since the author seemed to have had a good idea for a story, but in the end decided to write about sex instead of orphans.
March 1, 2023
An amazing book!
I picked up this book because the title intrigued me. I had heard of the orphan trains, but didn't know much about them, or about New York in the late 1800s. This book filled in quite a bit of historical information on both counts.
The story follows Tabitha, a young girl who finds herself abandoned in Five Points, a notorious New York slum. For her own safety she is persuaded to join one of the orphan trains that took abandoned and orphaned children from New York and sent them west for a better life. As one of the older children on the train, she is given charge of the younger ones, and becomes attached to one small boy. Despairing of finding a new home, she is about to give up, but then lands with some new loving parents. The rest of the story involves people she met in both her past and the present, and her interactions with them.
I found this to be a really great story. A tightly-written plot keeps the story moving, but you mostly remember the characters. Each one has some interesting background and actions. You want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
If you like historical fiction, great characters, and strong relationships, this book is for you!
I picked up this book because the title intrigued me. I had heard of the orphan trains, but didn't know much about them, or about New York in the late 1800s. This book filled in quite a bit of historical information on both counts.
The story follows Tabitha, a young girl who finds herself abandoned in Five Points, a notorious New York slum. For her own safety she is persuaded to join one of the orphan trains that took abandoned and orphaned children from New York and sent them west for a better life. As one of the older children on the train, she is given charge of the younger ones, and becomes attached to one small boy. Despairing of finding a new home, she is about to give up, but then lands with some new loving parents. The rest of the story involves people she met in both her past and the present, and her interactions with them.
I found this to be a really great story. A tightly-written plot keeps the story moving, but you mostly remember the characters. Each one has some interesting background and actions. You want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
If you like historical fiction, great characters, and strong relationships, this book is for you!
March 1, 2019
Tabitha has a happy family life until her father dies and her mother thinks they will fare better in the city rather than the farm. Life is much harder in the city and Tabitha soon loses her mother putting her on the streets. She goes to school but holes up at night under a stoop with some other street kids. She ends up going to the Sisters of Charity and goes on the Orphan Train to find a new home.
Tabitha's coming of age story is very tough in places, but this is an eye opening book about the hard life of these orphans. I thought it was well done, though there were a few places that didn't feel right but they were far between so not a distraction. Good book.
Tabitha's coming of age story is very tough in places, but this is an eye opening book about the hard life of these orphans. I thought it was well done, though there were a few places that didn't feel right but they were far between so not a distraction. Good book.
March 13, 2018
Interesting read
While I found this fictional story interesting, I struggled in several areas. The editing was poor - punctuation incorrect in many places, and often the end quotes were missing from characters’ speech. While written in first tense, it was sometimes hard to tell who was narrating chapters that did not have a name assigned. Additionally, the tense became inconsistent, where chapters referred to themselves as he or she. Perhaps with better editing I could enjoy the story more, but this was sloppy and confusing at times.
While I found this fictional story interesting, I struggled in several areas. The editing was poor - punctuation incorrect in many places, and often the end quotes were missing from characters’ speech. While written in first tense, it was sometimes hard to tell who was narrating chapters that did not have a name assigned. Additionally, the tense became inconsistent, where chapters referred to themselves as he or she. Perhaps with better editing I could enjoy the story more, but this was sloppy and confusing at times.
March 18, 2019
This historical novel touched me. Our protagonist, Tabitha Salt, through a series of tragic events, ends up on an orphan train. This is herstory. She begins a different life. Though I understand her reasons for doing so, I must admit to some sadness when she decided never to go back to being "Tabitha" but uses her new name. A most interesting and uplifting story, albeit sad that it even had to happen.
November 12, 2020
The story isn’t bad....
But the writing is cringeworthy. So, many, commas, used, improperly! End a sentence. Start a new one. I’m sorry, it’s just so distracting! The book would’ve been ten times better if it had been edited properly. And the character, Gert, who was introduced toward the end, felt like an afterthought as did a few other things that I won’t mention in order not to create any spoilers. Overall, a disappointing read.
But the writing is cringeworthy. So, many, commas, used, improperly! End a sentence. Start a new one. I’m sorry, it’s just so distracting! The book would’ve been ten times better if it had been edited properly. And the character, Gert, who was introduced toward the end, felt like an afterthought as did a few other things that I won’t mention in order not to create any spoilers. Overall, a disappointing read.
August 13, 2017
DNF.
Finding Tabitha has a premise that really caught my attention; a historical fiction, following a young girl living in old New York. It told of the gangs from the 5 Points in the city and the hardships that are associated with living in the slums. Then moves on to the early days of the orphan trains and chronicles the rest of Tabitha’s life.
At first there were some slight historical inaccuracies but I was able to overlook them as the plot was interesting. However as I read along they became more and more frequent. Not only did parts of the story contradict previous chapters, but the language and point of view was quite inconsistent as well.
Unfortunately I became so frustrated with the direction it was taking that I decided that it was best not to continue.
I do believe that Julie Dewy has potential as an author, however perhaps historical fiction isn’t the right genre for her.
Finding Tabitha has a premise that really caught my attention; a historical fiction, following a young girl living in old New York. It told of the gangs from the 5 Points in the city and the hardships that are associated with living in the slums. Then moves on to the early days of the orphan trains and chronicles the rest of Tabitha’s life.
At first there were some slight historical inaccuracies but I was able to overlook them as the plot was interesting. However as I read along they became more and more frequent. Not only did parts of the story contradict previous chapters, but the language and point of view was quite inconsistent as well.
Unfortunately I became so frustrated with the direction it was taking that I decided that it was best not to continue.
I do believe that Julie Dewy has potential as an author, however perhaps historical fiction isn’t the right genre for her.
December 13, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, but while I found parts of it interesting enough, the writing was so uneven. It really needed editing! Chapters written in the voice of one character would switch from one character to another, to third party. That's just sloppy and it distracted from the story.
August 8, 2023
Forgetting Tabitha
Heartfelt, heartbreaking story of orphans in New York City left with no resources except their wits and gumption. Some were found by Sisters of Charity and placed on trains going out west, to hopefully find homes. The characters are very believable, as are the circumstances. Highly recommend!
Heartfelt, heartbreaking story of orphans in New York City left with no resources except their wits and gumption. Some were found by Sisters of Charity and placed on trains going out west, to hopefully find homes. The characters are very believable, as are the circumstances. Highly recommend!
March 9, 2018
Read it!
The 1st couple of chapters were all over the place. I had to go back a few times to figure some things out. After I figured out what the author was doing, it took off for me. I couldn't put it down.
The 1st couple of chapters were all over the place. I had to go back a few times to figure some things out. After I figured out what the author was doing, it took off for me. I couldn't put it down.
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