Orphan Train

A Novel

By: Christina Baker Kline

Narrated by: Jessica Almasy, Suzanne Toren

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to "aging out" out of the foster care system. A community-service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse....

As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both.

Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train 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.

©2013 Christina Baker Kline (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The narrator of Orphan Train, Jessica Almasy, does an incredible read. Listening to Almasy’s rendition of this book - so vivid and emotional - was as much fun as getting swept away by an Oscar-winning movie.” (Parents.com)

"Absorbing...a heartfelt page-turner about two women finding a sense of home.... Kline lets us live the characters’ experiences vividly through their skin.... The growth from instinct to conscious understanding to partnership between the two is the foundation for a moving tale." ( Publishers Weekly)

“Kline's vibrant, sophisticated language comes alive with the sparkling talents of narrators Jessica Almasy and Suzanne Toren. Their finely paced, enthusiastic portrayals of the charming main characters quickly capture the listener.” ( AudioFile)

Very Relevant History

My wife and I listened to this book as she had a family member ride the orphan train to Kansas. The author spun a wonderful story amid historical fiction. I'm sure that the author spent countless hours researching this novel and her idea to use a present day foster child to connect with the orphan train was brilliant. The story probably has a lot more truth in it than fiction. It gives the modern reader insight into our past while bringing the modern plight of unloved kids to our attention. I must say that even if the whole book was made up and there was never any orphan trains the story itself would be a very good story. We hated it when it ended. The narrators did a great job as well. It was a very realistic performance when it came to Irish accents, etc. This book is one of those that is good for the whole family to read together provided the children are a little older. It has a sex scene in it that the author treated very gingerly, but was necessary to further the story. As I said, my wife and I listened to this together and we have different tastes in books. This book is well worth your credit and more than that - your time.

Excellent and heart wrenching story about orphans

Some awful decisions were made about orphans in the early parts of the 1900's East Coast cities-where the influx of immigrants who had no work but many children lead to train loads of youngsters being brought to the midwest and literally given to people who wanted kids to work farms or sew or even act as nanny to the receiving parents own children.

This novel really got to my heart as it details the story of two orphans-one a victim of the orphan train and the other a product of the foster care system we have today. They come together and each learns from the other.

A wonderful listen...made me grateful for my parents.

Great listen

Tight, well-written historical fiction with great character development. Reading this book tugs at my curiousity and draw me to research the orphan trains.Easy read.

A bit slight, but a nice story

Like many people, I came to this after listening to "The Chaperone," and while direct comparisons are probably unfair, I found myself doing it anyway. The story wasn't quite as robust, but since "The Chaperone" was one of my favorite audiobooks ever, that's a high bar. This one was still worth a listen, and the narration was excellent.

What a moving story of overcoming tragedies

I enjoy hearing of stories that shaped America. Definitely recommend this story of loss, fostering and finding the strength to continue.

Suffering and Perserverance

At the beginning of this story I started to expect a story about a troubled teen who we all grow to love, etc, etc, but that not this story. Foster teen Molly is performing community-service work for elderly widow Vivian, and as they go through Vivian’s cluttered attic, they discover that their lives have much in common.

Vivian’s story is a desperate existence with many challenges, and as we are told her story, there are bits of Molly’s present-day story mixed in. While Molly’s suffering pale in comparison to Vivian, you begin to feel strongly for both characters.

There were times in this story where I didn’t want to listen, even a couple of times where I jumped ahead because I couldn’t listen to the graphic details of certain events, some make me uncomfortable to think about even now. These women are resilient and they preserver regardless of the obstacles.

A real treasure

If you could sum up Orphan Train in three words, what would they be?

Beautiful Sad Hopeful

What was one of the most memorable moments of Orphan Train?

When she met up with her long lost friend.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved it all.

If you could take any character from Orphan Train out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Vivian

Any additional comments?

A great book! A true stand out and much more fulfilling of a read than most of the crap out there.

Moving story with an uplifting ending

This book elicits strong emotions, as it tells the story of one girl who rode the orphan train in hopes of finding a family that would that would take her in and see her as a person, not just a servant. In conjunction with the telling of the now elder Vivian's heartbreaking story, we also have the story of Molly, a teenager who is not faring well in the current day foster system. Her most recent foster placement is hanging by a thread, and she must do community service to avoid criminal charges for a very petty crime. As a result, the their paths meet, they unexpectedly become friends, and they have a great impact on each other's lives.

Unlike many other listeners, I enjoyed the narration of this story and felt it added to the listening experience.

Very interesting and personal

This was a fantastic audible! The story includes a child in 1929 through adulthood and a teenager in 2011 who meets her. It is so well written and the narration is excellent. You have to listen to this!

Touching and Eye Opening

I loved it! I couldn't stop listening. It didn't end as I thought, but AWESOME!