I liked Ms. Kline's book because of what I learned. I knew nothing about our nation's history when it came to dealing with orphans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kline researched her topic well, no doubt. More than two hundred thousand homeless children were taken on trains from the east coast to the Midwest for "adoption," which often turned out to be indentured servitude. This was the precursor to our foster parent system of today. Kline tells this story through the alternating narratives of 90 year old Vivian, and Molly, a 17 year old foster child who is about to "age out" of the system. For stealing a library book, Molly is ordered to complete 50 hours of community service. Molly never anticipated that cleaning out a rich old lady's attic would lead to life changing experiences for them both.
Kline first introduces us to Molly. It is the year 2011, and she has moved through a dozen foster home experiences in Maine. She is of Native American heritage through her father, who was killed in a car accident. Her mother's subsequent decline into the drug culture and ultimate incarceration was the reason Molly was put in a foster home at the age of seven. Her only high school friend is Jack, who becomes a significant positive influence for Molly.
Vivian's story begins in 1929. She immigrated from Ireland to New York City with her parents and siblings. She was the only one to survive a fire that swept her tenement housing. The Children's Aid Society included her in a group of 250 orphans to travel on the Orphan Train from New York to cities in the Midwest. These children were then chosen by families who wanted a child. Vivian's first two placements were disasters. Kline's narrative of her experiences are difficult to imagine.
Ms. Kline is an experienced, well-respected writer. So it surprises me that her novel is very predictable and simplistic. The characters, although compelling, have little depth. The ending left me with too many unanswered questions about Molly's future. I was left with the impression that Orphan Train should be the first novel in a young adult series.
Are you sure it wasn't marketed as YA? Often if the book's main character is a child or teenager and there is minimal sex/violence, the publishers market it as that.
ReplyDeleteI also had minimal knowledge of the orphan trains. However, I remember Laura and Melissa read a children's series called "The Orphan Train.". Each book was written around the "adventures" of one child. I didn't read them, but understood they were meant as kind of an introduction to that event in history.
I did read a book recently in which the main character was a child on a train from NYC to the Mid-West in the late 1800s. "My Notorious Life" was really a great read -- I recommend it! It was "inspired by the true history of an infamous female physician who was once called 'the Wickedest Woman in New York' because she provided abortions in addition to serving as a mid-wife. It's a very well-written novel.
I doubt that it would be marketed as YA. There is one incident with a "father" figure that's too graphic and scary, in my opinion. The author does admit that she asked advice from her teen aged children for modern "teen speak."
DeleteI think you're right. I was just looking up reviews and there is no mention of it being a YA book. Too bad that a novel about such a complicated and heart-wrenching event from our past is treated simplistically. But -- I guess the positive thing is that it has made that moment in history accessible to many.
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