Week 5: Kirkus Style Book Review: The assignment this week was to do a very specific type of book review, Kirkus Style. The following is my review:

Orphan Train, A Novel, Christina Baker Kline

An elderly woman, who as a child was abandoned, finds friendship with a teenage girl who is in similar situation that she had been.

During the time period 1854-1929, Orphan trains moved across the United States. They brought orphaned children from the East Coast to the Plains. Anyone along the way who wanted to adopt the children could. I am very interested in family history and genealogy, and as such have heard about the Orphan Trains. So, when I saw this book, I thought it would give me some insight into the conditions, and tell many stories of the orphans who traveled them. I was disappointed because the story centered around one elderly woman Vivian Daly, and her recounting of her experience here-and-there, with her new found friend, Molly Ayer, a teenager who she can relate to because of similar family histories. Although the story between Molly and Vivian is a good human interest story, it strays from the title of the book.  I was very disappointed in not knowing more about the Orphan Train and ALL of the children who suffered or were given freedom because of it, and really less interested in what happened to only two people. “…The attic is filled with boxes and furniture packed so tightly it’s hard to move around…” A tempting line about everything that is going to be uncovered about the Orphan Train? It ended up not being so. I love stories about digging through the attic, but what I was hoping would be dug up-the stories of all of the many orphans-never came to light.

Well-written, character focused-a beautiful story between two unlikely friends. However, you’re not going to learn much about the Orphan Trains.
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