Orphan Train Discussion Questions

[Tiffany]

It's time for me to post some discussion questions. Huzzah! I'm just gonna take a few from the back of the book and feel free to add any further thoughts or questions on your own.

1. Vivian's name changes several times over the course of the novel---from Niamh Power to Dorothy Nielsen to Vivian Daly. How are these changes significant for her? How does each name represent a different phase of her life?

2. When Vivian finally shares the truth about the birth of her daughter and her decision to put May up for adoption, she tells Molly that she was "selfish" and "afraid." But Molly defends her and affirms Vivian's choice. How did you perceive Vivian's decision? Were you surprised she sent her child to be adopted after her own experiences with the Children's Aid Society?

3. When Vivian and Dutchy are reunited, Vivian remarks, "However hard I try, I will always feel alien and strange. And now I've stumbled on a fellow outsider, one who speaks my language without saying a word." How is this also true for her friendship with Molly?

4. Molly is enthusiastic about Vivian's reunion with her daughter but makes no further efforts to see her own mother. Why is she unwilling (or unable) to effect a reunion in her own family? Do you think she will someday?

5. What did YOU think of the book? Were there any parts of the story or characters that you could relate to?

[Jenniffer]

1. I think the name changes are significant for Vivian because they literally mark a turning point to each of her new lives. The first phase of her life was her childhood, her parents gave her her name Niamh and they were a family. The second phase was Dorothy and it represented a life that was thrust upon her along with the name, a life she did not want. The third phase was her making conscience decisions. To accept Vivian as her name and become her adoptive parents daughter, and then Daly to marry a man she was not truly in love with. (at least at the time)

2.I do think that Vivian was afraid, and that her decision was selfish. I was surprised that she did put May up for adoption, but she did know through her experiences that babies are always wanted.

3. I think the statement is very true for her friendship with Molly; its like they are in an "orphan" club. I think it also parallels, to some extent, her relationship with the Nielsens, Vivian helps Molly because she has the means to do so; spare rooms, financially.

4. I think that Molly was unable; not unwilling (she did look her mother up). I think that the timing has to be right for both parties otherwise the reunion will not go well. They found out that Vivian's daughter had been looking for her for over 15 years, now it was just up to Vivian. Molly understands the want to know and be with her mother (family), I think it gives her hope that perhaps if things get better for her mother then they could one day meet again.

5. I liked the book. I thought the author did a great job putting the reader in Vivian and Molly's shoes. I thought it was very cool how she was able to accomplish this with very few words/chapters, (it was a short/quick book) but we were still able to see how their lives were. In the book the characters had to grow up too quickly and too young, I could relate to that. Also the pressures of having to take care of younger siblings.

[Whitney]

1. As Jenniffer mentioned, each of her names represents a turning point in her life. Niamh was her childhood name, showing her Irish history. Dorothy represented a time of mostly turmoil in her life as she was shuffled from place to place. I would think that Vivian was so happy to shed the name Dorothy, as so many terrible things happened to her while she had that name. I think when she was asked to take the name Vivian it helped turn a new leaf for her--she was finally with a family that loved her and doing something that she loved to do. Although I found it a little creepy that the Nielsons asked her to take their dead daughter's name, Vivian finally came into her own with that name, which made me happy.

2. I was a little surprised that Vivian made the choice to give her child up for adoption after the terrible experiences she had growing up. However, people handle situations in different ways--some mothers would hold on to that child because it is the only thing they have left of their dead husband, while others feel the child would be a constant reminder of what they had lost and be too difficult to raise on their own. While I don't think Vivian made the decision I would have made, I can understand why, in her situation, she chose to give her child up for adoption.

3. I think Molly and Vivian, like Dutchy and Vivian, had an instant connection. Vivian and Molly could each understand the others circumstances and appreciate the pain they had gone through. Having similar backgrounds brought two people together who had nothing else in common. I think Molly and Vivian learned from each other. Without Molly's help, Vivian never would have met her daughter, or found out that her sister had survived the fire.

4. I think Molly likely knows that a reunion with her mother would not go as well as Vivian's reunion with her daughter. Molly's mother is in jail, and is still doing drugs, so Molly can't expect much in the way of a mother figure from her. I think at periodic times in her life, Molly will search for her mother, and perhaps if she sees that her mother has made a change for the better in her life, Molly will reunite with her mother.

5. I really enjoyed this book. The writing was wonderful, and the story was so interesting. One thing I thought was really interesting was the author's use of first person in Niamh/Dorothy/Vivian's stories, but the use of a narrator for Molly's story. I do wish we could have learned a little more about Vivian's life after she marries Jim, but I understand why the author chose to end the story where she did. I was so glad that Kline chose to have Vivian's daughter come into the picture, and that it was a happy reunion for everyone involved.

[Tiffany]

1. I think names and their meanings in general are fascinating. In many cultures, there is some sort of naming ceremony after a child is born and later in life their name will change after a certain milestone in life---for example, marriage. It often signifies your culture essentially recognizing that you exist, that you have your own set of needs and responsibilities, and it is in essence a social contract. I think of how in the Bible Jacob wrestles with God and afterwards is renamed Israel, meaning "wrestled with God," and of how Saul is renamed Paul after his conversion, meaning "humble and small." It is as if they have been given a new identity and new responsibilities. The same goes with Vivian. Her Irish name is an immigrant name, a responsibility that society does not want. So they force her to change her name to Dorothy, which I would almost consider her slave name. But even at the Grotes home, they don't even bother to call her by her name. She is nameless and therefore ignored the majority of the time. They feel no responsibility toward her whatsoever. When she receives her final name of Vivian, I think the author was very intentional in choosing a name that means "alive." Not only were the Nielsons receiving another daughter in the place of their now dead daughter, but it was a new birth in Vivian's life as well.

2. I was really surprised Vivian gave her daughter up for adoption too, and the only excuse I can make for her is that she was in deep grief and afraid of losing her too. She had lost every family member she ever loved and Dutchy's death was clearly her breaking point. I'm glad Whitney made the point that she knew families wanted to adopt babies, because I didn't really think about that until then, but it's still kind of frustrating to see her risk her daughter growing up the same way she did.

3. I don't want to be repetitive on this one, so ditto. Instant connection. ;-)

4. I think even at a young age Molly doesn't want to reconnect with her mother because she recognizes that it is a toxic relationship. If her Mom cleans herself up and pursues her, then yes, I think they will reconnect. But otherwise, I think she'll stay away.

5. I loved this book. The history, the storytelling, the special relationship between an elderly woman and a delinquent teen. I just loved it. I even found myself able to relate to the Native American connection of portaging. Though I wasn't an orphan and didn't grow up in foster care, I can still understand what it's like to "travel lightly" all the time. I practically grew up bouncing back and forth between mom's and dad's, having to choose carefully what to take every time, and sometimes intentionally choosing not to take my favorite things because if I left them I might not see them for another week or longer. And there's always that sense of neither belonging here nor there, not knowing which house to call home. I'm sure there are plenty of people who could relate to portaging and therefore this story---foster kids, military kids, missionary kids, children of divorce/separated parents.