This book illustrates that effect by looking at the fates of orphan train riders in aggregate, and by telling the stories of particular children. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in book club. Riders on the orphan train chronicles the lives of two children among approximately 250,000 young people placed out between 1854 and 1929. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about a. Orphan train riders of arkansas orphan train train museum foster care common core standards kids house american history irish american family history the fosters orphan train riders arrived in towns across the midwest and south, including arkansas, changing the lives of the children and their new families. Orphan train riders irish strong william the orphan train. So, when i found christina baker klines acclaimed novel orphan train, i immediately picked. Christina answers the top ten questions book clubs ask 15 minutes questions. 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. Find out their true stories in the american experience documentary the orphan trains, and hear tosa writer kathy mangold discuss her research on her greatgrandmothers experience on the orphan train and beyond. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about a littleknown piece of american history. Additional funding provided by the arizona humanities council. In 1904 a group of 21 irish catholic children came to clifton from the new york.
A group outside of the childrens aid societys central. To get you started, weve put together a list of 20 surefire conversation starters, ranging from the best contemporary literature to historical fiction, memoirs, and history. Riders on the orphan train by alison moore goodreads. The national orphan train complex has compiled a number of stories of the children who rode the trains to be placed in foster care. One of their books was a childrens nonfiction story about a young boy who was sent west on an orphan train in 1926. The orphan train goodreads meet your next favorite book. Friends night out to feature riders on the orphan train. Its estimated that the 200,000 orphan train riders have two million descendants, some of them living in arkansas. Christina answers the top ten questions book clubs ask. The orphan train has several threads for book clubs to discuss. 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. 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. But dont worry, christina baker kline wraps it all up neatly at the end so you wont go into a tailspin.
The main difference between the two versions, other than length, is the protagonists age. October 1, 2012 by david dilts the train out of new york city full of nuns and children pulled up to the osage, missouri station in 1901. The reality of this heartbreaking time provided for an interesting storyline. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of. Some had been preplaced already and rode the train to a predesignated home. Orphan train is a fascinating story of friendship between women from two generations. 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. Riders on the orphan train kindle edition by alison moore.
Hedlunds cinderella story, shedding light on the hardships women faced in both the east coast cities and the developing west in the 1850s, is a pleasant romance with plenty of twists to keep readers engaged until the final page. Lesson plans and resources for orphan train free library of. From the teeming streets of new york among a crush of immigrants. Background taken from edelweiss about orphan train.
Orphan train by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. Collect all four volumes of the beyond the orphan train series. If you enjoy historical fiction, check out this quick, easy read. The orphan trains operated between 1853 and 1929, relocating about 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children. Beyond the orphan train series, volumes 14 by arleta richardson. The orphan train movement was a supervised welfare program that transported orphaned and homeless children from crowded eastern cities of the united states to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the midwest.
Some of the food ideas are from the book like the terrys famous chowder but most of this book took place during the great depression so food was scarce and there was no way i was. 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. Christina has longed to write a scene in which she clarifies vivians motivations. Orphan train recipes for book clubs tosas allcity read. The orphan train riders that came to arkansas lived around the state. Since then, ive wanted to learn more about this often forgotten piece of history.
The orphan train transported a reported 200,000 children from the east coast to the midwest between 1854 and 1929. 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. How did most train riders ultimately feel about having been put on a train. See more ideas about orphan train, orphan and history. Virginia johnson, a member of the nir committee, will lead that discussion, which is open to. An exquisite novel about a forgotten piece of history. Please use the link provided below to generate a unique link valid for 24hrs. Orphan train is a great book club discussion book and we recommend it to everyone. Jan 24, 2015 a few days ago i posted my thoughts on orphan train by christina baker kline. A nonfiction book, the great arizona orphan abduction, by linda gordon and. Aug 02, 2015 descendants and relatives of new york orphan train riders, including margaret briley, james douget, warren lafleur, barbara jesclard and florella inhern, tell the stories of some of the children.
Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or. Did the research for this book give you a bleak perspective of human nature. 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. Book club questions for the orphan train by christina baker. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Riders on the orphan train prescott public library. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. The books this year are about the include orphan train by christina baker kline and riders on the orphan train by moore. From 1854 to 1929 about 150,000 orphans from new york city and the surrounding area were placed in homes in the midwest and west. You will become a better person for having read it. This book is equal parts heartwrenching and heartwarming. We didnt talk about all of them, but we did hit on most of the main ones. Not all orphan train riders went to an unknown destination.
May 17, 2015 since orphan train was my book club choice for the year, i had to provide the discussion questions. When a divorce sends kathryn reeling back to the maine town where she grew up, the young journalist finds herself facetoface. 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. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Andrea warren is the author of many acclaimed nonfiction books for young readers, including orphan train rider. These questions about the novel can help foster discussion in your group. The flashbacks of her life were interesting, well written and i couldnt get enough. See more ideas about orphan train, orphan train book and orphan. The orphan trains operated between 1854 and 1929, relocating about 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, abused, or homeless children.
Available in a special hardcover edition, christina baker klines smash bestseller that is a lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of american history ann packer. Orphan train historical background from the authors website. Apr 02, 20 vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. Luckily, there were some provided in the back of the book which i have listed below. They started their journey in new york and were given away in train stations across the country. Orphan train riders, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. The washington post also has a comprehensive article on the orphan trains. Not only is it entertaining and educational, it is also an excellent discussion book. She has developed public outreach programs for the orphan train heritage society of america, inc. Alison moore alison moore lives in austin, texas when. Between 1854 and 1929, over 250,000 orphans and surrendered children were placed out across the country. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in book club books, book. Bird in hand, the way life should be, desire lines and sweet water. 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.
Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders. In orphan train, christina baker kline seamlessly knits together the past and present of two women, one young and one old. She has just completed an historical novel titled riders on the orphan train with a fellowship from the national endowment for the arts. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. You want books that are thoughtprovoking and intelligent but still approachable. I had no idea that this happened with orphans in america. Roxana robinson interviews christina baker kline about her new novel, orphan train. 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.
One boys true story, which won the boston globehorn book award. Orphan train by christina baker kline reading guidebook. 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. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. At orphan train reunions, riders of the portable foster care system recounted their experiences to one another.
Christina baker klines adapts her bestselling orphan train for young readers with orphan train girl. Oct 20, 2014 i love when i find a winner with my book club and this is definitely a winner. Orphan train girl by christina baker kline reading guide. Apr 11, 20 on the night of her high school graduation in 1986, kathryn campbells best friend, jennifer, vanished without a trace. In the following 75 years, over 250,000 children would be transported from east coast cities to communities in every one of the 48 contiguous states. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains transported more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children between the ages of 2 and 14 from the east coast to the midwest for foster care and adoption. A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp. Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. 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. Orphan train was a mix of favorite childhood books of mine such as anne of green gables, heidi, and understood betsy, and ms. Its been ten years since then, but kathryn still feels the conspicuous void in her lifeand the nagging, guilty sense that she has failed her friend.
Any, or all, of these recipes would be suitable for the book club that focuses on dessert. How close are the events you describe in the novel to real life. Orphan train could be well paired in your book group year with before. Orphan trains brought homeless nyc children to work on. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, orphan train girl includes an authors note and archival photos from the orphan train era.
I first learned about americas orphan train riders when i was interning for a literary agency. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant girl sent on an orphan train from new york city to minnesota in the late 1920s. Take a trip back in time to the early 20th century in america, where ethan cooper and his orphaned siblings are on a mission to find a family. Reading group guide questions provided by the publisher. She served as writerinresidence at fordham university from 2007 to 2011 and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Kline reminds us that we never really lose anyone or anything orperhaps most importantlyourselves. Twenty one photos of orphan train riders have been compiled on the. Orphan train will be read by the pageturners library book club for its discussion on oct. Its dorothys birthday, shes living with the miserable, dysfunctional grote family and her teacher the only person who seems to care about her surprises her with a birthday treat. For some, being chosen from a crowd and taken into a family was the moment their life began. 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.
Coeur dalene, post fall libraries to host riders of the. Kline has written six other novels orphan train, orphan train girl, the way life should be, sweet water, bird in hand, and desire lines and written or edited five works of nonfiction. Instant downloads of all 1296 litchart pdfs including orphan train. Choosing a book for your book club to read can be challenging. Orphan train riders irish strong william the orphan train riders kindle edition by zieba, amanda. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Dec, 2016 since the publication of her smash international bestseller orphan train, christina baker kline has met with countless readers and book clubs and is often asked the same question about a key decision one of her protagonists makes in orphan train. More than 200,000 homeless children were sent west on the trains. Christina baker kline is a novelist, nonfiction writer and editor. Rich in detail and epic in scope, the train rider is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendships, and of the secrets we carry with us that keep us from finding out who we are. Many train riders ended up with their names changed more than once, and many went into multiple homes. Questions every book club asks, the story behind the writing of orphan train, and more. John jackson, who at five years old walked off after a marching band and never found his way home again. This book follows two characters, and i loved reading the flashbacks from the perspective of the old woman, who traveled on an orphan train after her family was killed in a fire in new york.
Its dedicated to preserving the orphan train riders stories and helping family members locate information about their orphan train riders. Book club kit discussion guide orphan train by christina. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. 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. I love when i find a winner with my book club and this is definitely a winner. Orphan train relevant reading book discussion guides. Friends night out to feature riders on the orphan train local. Homes wanted orphan train, orphan train book, book. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. This part of our american history was unknown to a few of our readers. I chose this book for the sixty and me community because.
353 1110 186 1414 973 1288 1577 159 1060 360 1126 456 687 246 1384 685 405 219 1049 316 1190 1034 239 842 1349 374 1493 883 1265 782 774 1467