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I learned about an aspect of U.S. history that I hadn't known before. I knew nothing of the orphan trains. It was eye-opening to see how little oversight was given to the protection of these children. This was fascinating and, at times, heart-breaking.
Vivian (the character who rode the orphan train) had a very interesting plot and character development. And a key strength of this book is that the author labels each chapter with a date. This way, you know whether you are about to read Vivian's ta ...more
Vivian (the character who rode the orphan train) had a very interesting plot and character development. And a key strength of this book is that the author labels each chapter with a date. This way, you know whether you are about to read Vivian's ta ...more
This was a really great book. It drew me in with the first chapter and I was reluctant to put it down after that. Now that I am finished, I will have to get caught up with chores.
This historical fiction tale, with its parallel modern embedded narrative, tells the story of a young girl sent off on one of the Orphan Trains that carried abandoned children of NYC to Midwest farms. I learned so much about what I thought was a short-lived limited endeavor, but was really a huge, long-running strategy to move hundreds of thousands of unwanted American children out of the city, where they were underfoot, into the country where they could work for a living. The story is jaw-dropp
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I really would like to give it 3 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed hearing Vivian's story and learning about the orphan trains and a part of American history I knew nothing about. I gave it 3 stars because I thought Molly's character could have been better developed and I thought some of story was a bit contrived and tied some loose ends together a little too neatly. Overall though a good story!
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Very readable. Covers an interesting aspect of American history. The author did a lot of research, which she discussed in an afterword in my edition.
I enjoyed the interweaving of the two stories: that of the now-old woman, Vivian, who was sent west on an orphan train and that of the young woman in foster care who becomes involved with Vivian as she performs community service as a way to avoid juvenile hall.
The writing was good, not great. A positive was the amount of detail included.
I enjoyed the interweaving of the two stories: that of the now-old woman, Vivian, who was sent west on an orphan train and that of the young woman in foster care who becomes involved with Vivian as she performs community service as a way to avoid juvenile hall.
The writing was good, not great. A positive was the amount of detail included.
I really liked this book. It has interesting history and I liked the way it went back and forth between a modern day character and a historical character. Good pick Tiff!
Highly recommended. I loved the blend of contemporary and historical story lines.
Sep 26, 2014
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