After struggling through The Worst Hard Time, I indulged in Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. From 1854 to 1929, over two hundred thousand orphaned or abandoned children were transported by train from cities on the East Coast to the Midwest. The charitable organizations which organized these transports were attempting to find wholesome, loving homes for these children among families in the Midwest. Many of the children were the children of immigrants whose parents either died or could not care for them. In some cases, the orphans did, indeed, find loving homes. In other cases, the children were abused and overworked.
Orphan Train contains two parallel stories, one of an Irish girl who was sent west on one of the trains and went through a series of foster homes. The other protagonist is a girl of Native American origin who experiences the current foster care system.
Kline artfully blends the two stories together. The characters are memorable. This best seller should be popular book discussion selection.
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