I have very mixed opinions about this book. From a historical perspective, I am very glad that I read it. I had never heard of the Orphan Trains before, and I was appreciative of the enlightenment that this story provided.
For me, the rest of the story was something of a disappointment. I was not overly fond of Klines writing style, and I would never consider this book to be beautifully written. Given the subject matter, I feel like that should have been a given.
The main characters, Vivian and Molly, were painfully thin in spite of multiple opportunities to give them real depth. The revelation of Vivians big secret made me absolutely furious did she learn nothing from her childhood experience after all? And with all that talk of ghosts in the beginning, Molly seemed like one herself. To me, her character lacked gravity, leaving her to float through this story only half-formed.
Kline also makes multiple attempts to work in the noble struggles of different races, ethnicities, and cultural belief systems (the Penobscot Indians and Irish immigrants, for example), yet she describes Mollys modern-day foster mother (arguably the most vicious, self-centered and hateful person in the book) primarily as someone who listens to conservative talk radio, belongs to a fundamentalist Christian church, and has a Guns dont kill people abortion clinics do bumper sticker on her car. It was an eye-rolling moment for me and one of those times when I lose the voice of the characters and see the authors own opinions peeking from behind the pages instead.
This book is beneficial because it shines a spotlight on an important period in our nations history. And while the Orphan Train children deserve to be remembered, I feel like the rest of this book is worthy of being forgotten.
For me, the rest of the story was something of a disappointment. I was not overly fond of Klines writing style, and I would never consider this book to be beautifully written. Given the subject matter, I feel like that should have been a given.
The main characters, Vivian and Molly, were painfully thin in spite of multiple opportunities to give them real depth. The revelation of Vivians big secret made me absolutely furious did she learn nothing from her childhood experience after all? And with all that talk of ghosts in the beginning, Molly seemed like one herself. To me, her character lacked gravity, leaving her to float through this story only half-formed.
Kline also makes multiple attempts to work in the noble struggles of different races, ethnicities, and cultural belief systems (the Penobscot Indians and Irish immigrants, for example), yet she describes Mollys modern-day foster mother (arguably the most vicious, self-centered and hateful person in the book) primarily as someone who listens to conservative talk radio, belongs to a fundamentalist Christian church, and has a Guns dont kill people abortion clinics do bumper sticker on her car. It was an eye-rolling moment for me and one of those times when I lose the voice of the characters and see the authors own opinions peeking from behind the pages instead.
This book is beneficial because it shines a spotlight on an important period in our nations history. And while the Orphan Train children deserve to be remembered, I feel like the rest of this book is worthy of being forgotten.
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