Orphan Train
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, published by HarperCollins on October 14, 2014, is a novel that intertwines the lives of two women across different eras. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, the story explores themes of family, resilience, and the search for belonging. The narrative follows Vivian Daly, a young Irish immigrant sent on an orphan train from New York City to the Midwest, and her later life in Maine, where she reflects on her tumultuous past.
As the plot unfolds, readers will encounter seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer, who is completing community service by assisting Vivian in sorting through her belongings. Through their interactions, both women confront their shared experiences of being outsiders and the complexities of their histories. The novel delves into the emotional landscapes of its characters, revealing how their lives are shaped by the circumstances of their upbringing. With 294 pages, this edition presents a poignant exploration of coming-of-age and the enduring impact of one’s past.
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The #1 New York Times Bestseller
“A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of America’s history. Beautiful.”–Ann Packer
Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship.
Between 1854 and 1929, so-called 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. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude?
As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine, the memories of her upbringing rendered a hazy blur. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past.
Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they appear. A Penobscot Indian who has spent her youth in and out of foster homes, Molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past.
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