On the surface, these women would seem to have nothing in common. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The orphan train movement was a supervised welfare program that transported children from crowded eastern cities of the united states to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the midwest. The main narrative about vivian, an orphan train rider, was excellent. Joan lowery nixon published a family apart, the first book in her middlegrade series orphan train adventures, in 1995. Orphan train by christina baker kline plot summary litcharts. Sundays, new years day, saturday before easter, memorial day, july 4, labor day, veterans day, thanksgiving, christmas eve and christmas. The orphan train movie summary impact of the orphan train. Apr 02, 20 free download or read online orphan train pdf epub book. Christina baker klines orphan train is a poignant and memorable story of two steadfast, courageous womenone young, one oldand their discovery of each others past as unwanted outsiders. She is taken on a train to the midwest where orphans were dropped off at cities as the train went along. Book club questions for the orphan train by christina.
They take niamh to the childrens aid society, and the agency sends niamh out to the midwest on an orphan train. It goes through the life of niamh, starting in 1929, and describes how she traveled to america with her family and became an orphan. A novel by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. History courses, christina baker klines novel orphan train is the perfect addition to your curriculum.
Summary orphan train by christian baker kline is the story of a surprising friendship between two women troubled seventeen yearold foster kid molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly. Years of struggles wait for her, for she is not lucky to be adopted by kind and harmless people from the start. I go into depth discussing the plot and things i liked and didnt like a. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who, as the result of spending time together and sharing their experiences, form a bond, learn from each other, and change in significant ways. Seventeenyearold noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a nazi soldier during the occupation of her native holland.
The orphan train community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Spruce harbor, maine, 2011 union station, chicago, 1929 summary. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read orphan train. I provide a general overview of the book without delving too deep into themes or revealing.
As a troublesome teenager, molly hides all her insecurities under the aggressive front and pretended indifference. The historical thread is based on the orphan trains that transported orphaned and homeless children from crowded eastern cities of the united states to foster. This novel starts out in spruce harbor, maine, with molly ayer and her foster parents, dina. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains transported more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children from the coastal cities of the eastern united states to the midwest, where they were taken in and many were eventually adopted. Molly is an orphan because her father is dead and her mother is in jail. Just months from aging out of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse. Brace theorized that he children would have a better chance. A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp.
The first edition of the novel was published in april 2nd 20, and was written by christina baker kline. Penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of the foster care system. The orphans tale is a story of two women in nazi germany. Close to aging out of the foster care system, penobscot indian molly ayer takes a community service position helping an elderly woman named vivian clean out her home and discovers that they are more alike than different as she helps vivian solve a mystery from her past. Orphan train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from christina baker kline, author of bird in hand and the way life should be. A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of american history. Apr 11, 20 christina baker klines new novel incorporates a true piece of american history.
Instant downloads of all 1427 litchart pdfs including orphan train. Soon enough she becomes an orphan and is put on an orphan train. It is a revelation of the universal yearning for belonging, for family, for acceptance and, ultimately, the journeys we must all make to find them. The cofounders of the orphan train movement claimed that these children were orphaned, abandoned, abused, or. New york central train, 1929 union station, chicago, 1929 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 the milwaukee train, 1929.
Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Orphan train part 6, chapter 3 summary freebooksummary. On the train, niamh befriends dutchy, a twelveyearold boy, and takes care of carmine, a toddler. In orphan train, christina baker kline seamlessly knits together the past and present of two women, one young and one old. Jun 16, 2017 summary of orphan train from christina baker cline summary station in the 1850s it was estimated that over 30,000 children were homeless, and roaming the busy streets of new york city. Orphan train summary and study guide overview orphan train by christina baker kline recounts the stories of two extraordinary women. The author spun a wonderful story amid historical fiction. Orphan train by christian baker kline is the story of a surprising friendship between two women troubled seventeen yearold foster kid molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly. Youre introduced to molly, and her struggles in the. The author of bir d in hand and the way life should be delivers her most ambitious and powerful novel to date.
These trains carry orphaned or homeless children to towns in the. Vivian is an orphan because her family died in a fire in 1929. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train. Bring your club to amazon book clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. This book illustrates that effect by looking at the fates of orphan train riders in aggregate, and by telling the stories of particular children. Set in midnineteenthcentury america, the historical novel follows the lives of six children whose mother is forced to give them up for adoption through the orphan train program, which moved young people away from the east coast and to the midwest. Daly meet and find that they share a common bond, which is both of them are orphans. Lesson plans and resources for orphan train free library of. The book is based on the orphan train movement, a supervised welfare programme in the united states of america from 1854 to 1929, which transported orphans and homeless children from the eastern cities of the usa to foster homes largely located in the rural areas of the midwest. Orphan train by christina baker kline recounts the stories of two extraordinary women. The year is 2011 and molly is in trouble with the law. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts.
Spruce harbor, maine, 2011 union station, chicago, 1929. She is an immigrant from ireland whose family came to the usa in the first half of the 20th century. Related posts about orphan train part 6, chapter 3 summary. Her name was ingrid and prior to her marriage she was an aerialist in the circus, thus after being shunned by her husband she goes back to the only life she has ever known, and she takes on the name astrid, hoping the nazis wont capture her, or worse.
A powerful novel of friendship and sacrifice, set in a traveling circus during world war ii, by international bestselling author pam jenoff. Orphan train book king county library system bibliocommons. This is an alternate cover edition of isbn 9780061950728, found here. The movie orphan train is a result of thinking about the orphans in the society, the thing that. Charles brace, saw a need for the children to have homes of their own. The orphan trains operated between 1854 and 1929, relocating about 250,000 children. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 278 pages and is available in paperback format. Orphan train by christina baker kline supersummary kindle edition. Vivian, a 91 yearold wealthy retiree, and 17 yearold molly, a troubled orphan living in fostercare. Its the story of two women who build an unexpected friendship. When molly comes to vivians house to organize vivians attic as part of community service to avoid juvenile prison, vivian helps molly to understand life and to cope with her difficulties.
Molly ayer is living with ralph and dina in their home in spruce harbor, maine. Smashwords summary of orphan train a book by summary station. The orphan train movie summary impact of the orphan. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the east coast to the farmlands of the midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck.
The book looks at both stories by having chapters that are in mrs. Pdf orphan train book by christina baker kline free. The second narrative of molly, a teen foster child, is marred by the way the author, christina baker kline, portrays her oppressive foster mom. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude. Just before dutchy goes home with a farmer in minneapolis, minnesota, he and niamh promise to find each other again someday. The brave journey of an orphan train rider clark kidder it seems incomprehensible that there was a time in americas notsodistant past that nearly 200,000 children could be loaded on trains in large cities on our east coast, sent to the rural midwest, and presented for teh. Orphan train by christina baker kline supersummary kindle edition by supersummary author format. Orphan train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from christina baker kline, author of bird in hand and the way life. Niamh powervivian daly is one of the protagonists of the novel.
New york central train, 1929 union station, chicago, 1929. John jackson, who at five years old walked off after a marching band and never found his way home again. Ministering to one of the most deprived parts of new york city, the chapel aims to make a difference in the lives of the impoverished immigrants flooding. When molly comes to vivians house to organize vivians attic as part of community service to avoid juvenile prison, vivian helps molly to understand life and to. The brave journey of an orphan train rider clark kidder it seems incomprehensible that there was a time in americas notsodistant past that nearly 200,000 children could be loaded on trains in large cities on our east coast, sent to the rural midwest, and presented for teh picking to anyone who expressed an interest in them. It was called the orphan train, and took the children into the midwest to be given to families in exchange for the free labor the children would provide. One is a seventeen years old living in foster care. Except, their idea of taking care of the children is what became known as an orphan train. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who. Book club questions for the orphan train by christina baker. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. One woman is a jew, who was married to a german ss officer who divorced her and cast her aside.
The national orphan train complex in concordia, ks is a museum and research center dedicated to the orphan train movement, the various institutions that participated, and the children and agents who rode the trains. Find out in this lesson, which will go over a summary of orphan train by christina baker kline and discuss one of the major themes. An orphan train novella publishers summary trying to heal the ache she feels in her empty life, wealthy christine pendleton decides to volunteer at centre street chapel. After a tragedy, vivian becomes an orphan at a young age. Im sure that the author spent countless hours researching this novel and her idea to use a present day foster child to connect with the orphan train. Nearly eighteen, molly ayer knows she has one last chance. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are molly ayer, vivian daly. Youre introduced to molly, and her struggles in the foster care system, the law, and trying to find hope. Kline sets up a good story of orphans past, and the struggle to find identity, friendship, and acceptance in a world that is so often cold. Christina baker kline quote orphan train has two parts in the book that goes through two girls life, niamhs and mollys. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the east coast to the farmlands of the midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by luck or chance. Themes and colors key litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in orphan train, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. One of the book s protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed onto a train and sent to the midwest. My wife and i listened to this book as she had a family member ride the orphan train to kansas.
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