The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

The story is a true to life chronicle reflecting the saga of hundreds of thousands of homeless or neglected children who were placed on orphan trains from 1854 to 1929. The orphan train movement led to numerous reforms having to do with welfare and child labor laws. Many people believe it is the origin of modern foster care.

What a time to exist for these two women who could not be more different, or are they?

Vivian is a 90 year who came here as an Irish immigrant, whose parents and siblings were lost to her in a fire where they lived in New York City and became twice widowed.  With one exception the foster home placements including nothing more than child labor, taking care of children younger than your ten years in a filthy, inhumane environment and a sexual experience forced on her then thrown out in the winter snow with just the clothes on your back after furious accusations of being the guilty party rather than the victim that she was.   Imagine the social worker taking the side of the parents without question.

Now comes Molly, a Penobscot Indian, who is also in foster care with the most recent family including a “mom” who berates her at every turn but sure likes the monthly foster care system check and the “father” who seems to care about her but who will not stand up to his wife to defend her.  Molly is about to “age out” of the foster care system but gets into trouble with her probation having a provision requiring community service.  She seems to have only real friend, that being her “boyfriend” who seems to be a similar society “misfit”.  There are kindred spirits so to speak.  Molly is also thrown out of the house.  By the way, her crime was stealing a torn, tattered book from the school library.

The community service project is helping an elderly woman clean out her attic, hence their meeting.  Over time they become friends, each recognizing something in the other that satisfies and provides a long lost comfort in the form of friendship and even trust.  Vivian is reliving and sharing her life with Molly. Molly is gathering information to write an article for the school but learns so much more in this process.  Nothing much gets discarded but does get organized and gaps in each of their respective lives gets filled. 

With Molly’s help, Vivian moves into the 21^st century with technology and a new world of information is found at her fingertips.  Vivian’s heart begins to heal with her discoveries and new hope arises when she finds someone who she thought was lost to her forever.

Each of these characters found delight and comfort in books. Each had a teacher who saw something in them and nurtured their development.  Vivian’s teacher was instrumental in saving her life and her landlord came to love her as well resulting in finding loving couple to adopt her. The light went on the eyes of a teacher as Molly finally asserted herself in the classroom clearly claiming her Indian heritage and namesake. 

I have always acknowledged the role a teacher played in my life and for two teachers in this book care and protection was conveyed to a child so lost in the world.  It is also interesting to me that the same book was shared twice.  No, I am not telling you the name of that book. 

The ending was as it should be even though I wanted more. Here is my final thought about the ending. There was love and forgiveness in the eyes that clearly conveyed that all was right in “their” world of new beginnings.