Helpful Score: 1
If your a lover of history, this is the book for you. They're not many books out there that can make me shed a tear or two (in truth their is not much that can make me cry period), but this one had the tears welling up and spilling out. All I can say is thank goodness I was sitting in my car alone while waiting for my husband to get out of work.
The orphan trains that were spoke of in the book existed between 1854-1930. These trains would take orphaned or abandoned children from the east coast to the Midwest. Some of the children would be adopted into loving families. Others were indentured to families to work on the farm as labor or to work in the house helping take care of the children and other household duties. Many were abused, beaten, sexually molested, raped, or thrown out to fend for themselves. The really sad part is that these children really had no rights what so ever and many times were not believed if they complained. These were the castaways that no body really wanted.
The story goes back and forth between 2011 Maine and the 1930's and 1940's in Minnesota. We have two main characters, Vivian and Molly.
In this story Vivian was one of the orphan train children. She was an Irish immigrant who was orphaned in New York City. She was handed over to what was called the Children's Aid Society for care and was then placed on one of these trains. Molly is a Native American teenager who has been tossed into bad Foster Homes since she was little. Molly tries to steal a book from the library and is given 50 hours of community service. Molly is directed towards Vivian, who is 91 at the time, to help clean out her attic.
While Molly is helping Vivian with the attic, Vivian's story about her childhood is being told. Molly comes to find out that she and Vivian are not that much different in how they grew up and an unlikely bond grows between the two ladies.
As a mother, reading Vivian's story is quite painful at times to hear. Children did not have many rights during the time Vivian grew up so they could be beaten, made to work long hours with no food, piss poor living conditions, and a host of other things. I think what really ticks me off is that the organizations like the Children's Aid Society ignored what was going on. They knew what kind of life some of these children were going to have and they had no qualms about releasing them into the care of what I would call Monsters. I understand that times were different from now, but how can you look at a child and do what some of these people did. I don't think I will ever understand.
The story is not entirely about the abuse. Vivian and Molly both have their share of some happy moments especially between the middle to the ending of the book. It shows you that even under the most dire circumstances that if you want to survive, you can. Your life is what you make it out to be. The actions in your past should not define who you are. Yes they happened, and yes they really sucked, but you can rise above all the hardships and negativity that you have suffered through. That is why I gave this 5 stars and would highly recommend it.
The orphan trains that were spoke of in the book existed between 1854-1930. These trains would take orphaned or abandoned children from the east coast to the Midwest. Some of the children would be adopted into loving families. Others were indentured to families to work on the farm as labor or to work in the house helping take care of the children and other household duties. Many were abused, beaten, sexually molested, raped, or thrown out to fend for themselves. The really sad part is that these children really had no rights what so ever and many times were not believed if they complained. These were the castaways that no body really wanted.
The story goes back and forth between 2011 Maine and the 1930's and 1940's in Minnesota. We have two main characters, Vivian and Molly.
In this story Vivian was one of the orphan train children. She was an Irish immigrant who was orphaned in New York City. She was handed over to what was called the Children's Aid Society for care and was then placed on one of these trains. Molly is a Native American teenager who has been tossed into bad Foster Homes since she was little. Molly tries to steal a book from the library and is given 50 hours of community service. Molly is directed towards Vivian, who is 91 at the time, to help clean out her attic.
While Molly is helping Vivian with the attic, Vivian's story about her childhood is being told. Molly comes to find out that she and Vivian are not that much different in how they grew up and an unlikely bond grows between the two ladies.
As a mother, reading Vivian's story is quite painful at times to hear. Children did not have many rights during the time Vivian grew up so they could be beaten, made to work long hours with no food, piss poor living conditions, and a host of other things. I think what really ticks me off is that the organizations like the Children's Aid Society ignored what was going on. They knew what kind of life some of these children were going to have and they had no qualms about releasing them into the care of what I would call Monsters. I understand that times were different from now, but how can you look at a child and do what some of these people did. I don't think I will ever understand.
The story is not entirely about the abuse. Vivian and Molly both have their share of some happy moments especially between the middle to the ending of the book. It shows you that even under the most dire circumstances that if you want to survive, you can. Your life is what you make it out to be. The actions in your past should not define who you are. Yes they happened, and yes they really sucked, but you can rise above all the hardships and negativity that you have suffered through. That is why I gave this 5 stars and would highly recommend it.
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