More than 200,000 homeless children were sent west on the trains. Recipient of the new york foundling award 2004 and 2018 presented by othsa and the national orphan train complex for preservation of orphan train history. In the prologue vivian mentions that her true love died when she was 23, but she doesnt mention the other big secret in the book. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Roxana robinson interviews christina baker kline about her new novel, orphan train. Did the research for this book give you a bleak perspective of human nature. From the teeming streets of new york among a crush of immigrants. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about a littleknown piece of american history. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. North idaho reads on track for orphan train programs. So, when i found christina baker klines acclaimed novel orphan train, i immediately picked. The orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modernday foster care system. Riders on the orphan train kindle edition by moore, alison.
Many train riders ended up with their names changed more than once, and many went into multiple homes. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders. Orphan train riders familysearch the train out of new york city full of nuns and children pulled up to the osage, missouri station in 1901. Three year old irma craig had her name, birth date, and name of who was to receive her sewn on the inside of her jacket and a large number 32 sewn on the outside. Apr 02, 20 orphan train by christina baker kline 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. A lot of the women in this group liked the book along with our strong male contingency of one but not as much as i did. Orphan train by christina baker kline is a book that has many themes. Vivian traveled from nyc to minnesota as a young girl on one of the infamous orphan trains that was used to get orphans out of the cities into the country where they might have a better opportunity to find families and to be able to make a good life. On the surface, vivians and mollys lives couldnt be more different. Orphan train by christina baker kline is a historical fiction story that tells about the. How close are the events you describe in the novel to real life. Presented with funding from friends of the prescott public library.
Riders on the orphan train chronicles the lives of two children among approximately 250,000 young people placed out between 1854 and 1929. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. An exquisite novel about a forgotten piece of history off. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions. Orphan train riders to iowa a huge thank you to nettie mae lucas for recovering all of the records from the 2002 original project begun and coordinated by madanna harms and nettie mae lucas. A few days ago i posted my thoughts on orphan train by christina baker kline. Questions every book club asks, the story behind the writing of orphan train, and more. Orphan train is a great book club discussion book and we recommend it to everyone. After my book club chose orphan train for our next meetup, i picked up my copy and. Rich in detail and epic in scope, orphan train by christina baker kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in book club books, book. She can give you the information you seek about the orphan trains, when and where they ran. This list was originally compiled by madonna harms. Oct 20, 2014 i love when i find a winner with my book club and this is definitely a winner.
See more ideas about orphan train, orphan and train. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. The additional information column was added in 2017. Book club books, books to read, orphan train, train info, innocence lost, book authors. Christina answers the top ten questions book clubs ask 15 minutes questions. This book is equal parts heartwrenching and heartwarming. When her entire family is killed in a fire in 1929, nineyearold niamh is turned over to a childrens charity and put on an orphan train, sent to minnesota in the hopes of finding a new home.
Apr 11, 2014 online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday, april 11, 2014 orphan train book discussion guide. This facebook page is dedicated to families and friends who want to know how their family members came west as orphan train riders when they were children. The main narrative about vivian, an orphan train rider, was excellent. Riders on the orphan train prescott public library. Reading group guide questions provided by the publisher. Orphan train relevant reading book discussion guides. May 23, 2014 map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in 18531910. Riders on the orphan train kindle edition by moore. Advocacy group preserving the history of orphan trains. Orphan train by christina baker kline i remember at the age of 10 or so reading a novel about the late19th and early 20thcentury orphan trains, which took children and babies from east coast slums and brought them to the midwest, where they were given an opportunity for a potentially prosperous new life in the fresh rural air. We hope to educate you a bit on this subject and help you further your research on any ancestors you may have that came to iowa on one of the infamous orphan trains. I have written two childrens historical fiction books on the orphan train riders. Orphan train riders of new york organization honorary president.
John jackson, who at five years old walked off after a marching band and never found his way home again. One boys true story is about lee nailling, whose mother died when he was seven. Lee and a younger brother, leo, were placed in an orphanage. Riders on the orphan train by alison moore goodreads. 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. Jul 03, 2018 it relied on the kindness of strangers at train stops as an alternative to raising children in institutions, or kicking them out into the streets. Vivian, who immigrated to the united states from ireland as a young girl, was originally named niamh. You will become a better person for having read it. Lesson plans and resources for orphan train free library of. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. Orphans brought to iowa, containing name of child surname first then given name, adoptive parents surname first then given name and town. How did most train riders ultimately feel about having been put on a train.
See more ideas about orphan train, orphan train book, orphan. An exquisite novel about a forgotten piece of history. The novel began with a short story that is at the heart of a multimedia presentation called riders on the orphan train that the author has been performing in libraries and museums since 1998. The orphan train transported a reported 200,000 children from the east coast to the midwest between 1854 and 1929. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about the journey of two children from very different backgrounds who find themselves on the same train heading west in 1918.
But dont worry, christina baker kline wraps it all up neatly at the end so you wont go into a tailspin. Between 1854 and 1929, over 250,000 orphans and surrendered children were placed out across the country. In a twist of fate, a lady who was there at the time perusing some of the antiques and collectables to purchase, heard what book we had just finished discussing, and she shared with us the story of her own father and his siblings who had been orphan riders on the train. 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. Orphan train riders, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. They started their journey in new york and were given away in train stations across the country. Aug 18, 2018 the orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modernday foster care system. Christina baker klines novel orphan train has ridden the new york times bestseller list for the past 15 weeks, becoming a favorite of book clubs across the country. We are new to facebook but have been working with orphan train rider families for several years. Children placed out during the orphan train era 18531929 and their descendants have particular research problems. Alison moore and phil lancaster present riders on the orphan train, a live documentary presentation.
Vivian daly, known as niamh pronoucned neev as a child, an orphan train rider in 1929. There is the theme of foster care, adoption, family history, unexpected relationships, inhumane acts of violence and of course the train that took children from large cities to be adopted by families in the midwest to be more like indentured servants then a part of a new family. Was it common for train riders to keep their experiences secret. In the course of researching this family lore, i found that although orphan trains did. A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp. Discussion questions book club recommendationsdiscussion. Orphan train riders to iowa the children brought to iowa. Today, we welcome christina to the blog to discuss her experience with book clubs and the three most common questions that clubs have asked her about the novel. In orphan train, vivian dalys firstperson, pasttense account of her experience on the orphan train and her journey from irishcatholic immigrant to protestant midwesterner alternates with the presentday, presenttense, thirdpersonlimited story of vivians life on the maine coast. Home the presenters orphan train history the program links testimonials schedule booking media kit. It was believed that he traveled on an orphan train from new york to jamestown, north dakota with his four siblings when he was ten years old.
Riders of the orphan train preserves the unforgettable. Written testimonials from riders who were sent in the 1900s, 1910s, and. Join thousands of satisfied visitors who discovered orphan trains, irish genealogy records and finding a family. Roxana robinson interviews christina baker kline about her. This part of our american history was unknown to a few of our readers. Christina answers the top ten questions book clubs ask. The novels locations include new york city, arkansas, the big bend region of texas, central new mexico and southeastern arizona. Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. Riders on the orphan train tells the story of the 250,000 orphans and unwanted children who were put on trains in new york between 1854 and 1929 and sent all over the united states to be given away. For other news and our upcoming schedule, visit our facebook page and click on events. The reality of this heartbreaking time provided for an interesting storyline.
Two years later, along with yet another brother, the boys were sent west on an orphan train. One of their books was a childrens nonfiction story about a young boy who was sent west on an orphan train in 1926. Aug 08, 2016 i first learned about americas orphan train riders when i was interning for a literary agency. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about a. This book illustrates that effect by looking at the fates of orphan train riders in aggregate, and by telling the stories of particular children. Since then, ive wanted to learn more about this often forgotten piece of history. Christina answers top 10 book club questions youtube. At orphan train reunions, riders of the portable foster care system recounted their experiences to one another. Recipient of the founders award presented by the national orphan train complex for her eminent presentations on the orphan trains and having two published books. Additional copies will be also available at other libraries, as well as at local book stores. First, our book club won the books from a harper collins on line contest. Additional funding provided by the arizona humanities council. The book is also scheduled to be read and discussed by the 3cs book club.
760 1070 655 1040 589 1366 1498 897 732 804 1459 450 406 978 1308 1345 1086 658 580 915 41 178 455 896 525 1289 152 530 863 439 975 1030 1364 903 623 647 303