Orphan Train

by Christina Kline
Hennepin County Library
paperback 273 pages
genre: historical fiction

PRMS book club title - we all liked it, but some disliked the suddenness of the ending . . . there was so much more of the story to tell!

pg 5 - "Being Goth wipes away any expectation of conventionality, so Molly finds she's free to be weird in lots of ways at once. She reads all the time - in the halls, in the cafeteria - mostly novels with angry protagonists. . . " I love that she writes down vocabulary words in a notebook because "she likes the way they sound: Harridan. Pusillanimous. Talisman. Dowager. Enervating. Sycophantic." This makes me think of how much I love books and words!

It makes me so sad when Niamh (Neev) is renamed multiple times without her consent and at one point says she doesn't care what she is called. Names are so important!

pg 132 - When Molly is trying to choose someone to interview for her portaging assignment, she thinks Vivian's life story is too tame. Ironic! If she only knew . . . and comes to know through their shared storytelling. "Maybe it'll be a stretch to find drama in Vivian's portage - a happy, stable life does not an interesting story make, right?"

pg 171 - Classroom discussion about immigrants and people who are"asking for handouts" versus wanting to be treated fairly.

pg 192 - Description of the Lutheran church service with the Nielsens. It's so accurate! "I like the assumption that everyone is trying his best, and we should all just be kind to each other. I like the coffee hour with almond cake and snickerdoodles in the vestry."

pg 197 - As she is reflecting on her life with the Nielsens, she is grateful for the safety and acceptance she has found. But she also recognizes that "They are not my people, and never will be."

pg 246 - I love how she takes over at the store, reorganizes things, and revives the business. It makes me sad, though, when she thinks, "I learned long ago that loss is not only probable but inevitable." Her loss and sorrow are so deep!

I think the author did an admirable job of intertwining Niamh / Vivian's story with Molly's. This was a wonderful book about an Irish girl who travels an amazing journey and shares her life story with a similar young woman.