Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. Orphan train book club ideas part 1 have you read this incredible story about our history in america. Many people in the midwest at this time had inhome businesses. It is a story of two women who were orphans who faced many challenges and hardships in their lives but who survived through their resilience. Orphan train by american author, christina baker kline, is historical fiction that is a recent pick by one of our book club members. Jul 29, 2014 book club selection for august 2014 by christina baker kline. Orphan train was a mix of favorite childhood books of mine such as anne of green gables, heidi, and understood betsy, and ms. This study guide consists of approximately 42 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of orphan train.
The orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century. The orphan s tale by pam jenoff was a very moving read. I chose this book for the sixty and me community because. Orphan train is a fascinating story of friendship between women from two generations. In the attic, molly unwraps objects from vivians childhood, each providing the vehicle for a transition to vivians arduous experiences, first in new york, then on the orphan train, and finally in minnesota, where shes shunted from one desperate foster home. I had no idea that this happened with orphans in america. Today, we welcome christina to the blog to discuss her experience with book clubs and the three most common questions that clubs have asked her about the novel. Did you feel it was the appropriate ending for each of the characters. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 278 pages and is available in paperback format. Most of the people who took in orphan train riders did so because they needed free labor farmers and others who ran cottage industries. Apr 02, 20 vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. Like orphan train, doerrs novel is a work of historical fiction, portrays the experiences of orphans, has a twoplot structure, and retraces the lives of modernday characters by telling their stories from the beginning. Publishers comments goodreads 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. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more.
Shared experience serves to unite them as it comes to light that the aged vivian spent time on orphan trains, which ran regularly from the cities. Those characters providing homes for the orphans always seem to feel that they are owed something by. Orphan train by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. Orphan train study guide from litcharts the creators of. Roxana robinson interviews christina baker kline about her new novel, orphan train. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Yes a little reminiscent of that powerful book the nightingale by kristin hannah, however very different in its own right. The first edition of the novel was published in april 2nd 20, and was written by christina baker kline.
Christina baker klines adapts her bestselling orphan train for young readers with orphan train girl. Shared experience serves to unite them as it comes to light that the aged vivian spent time on orphan trains, which ran regularly from the cities of the east coast to the farmlands of the midwest. Orphan train relevant reading book discussion guides. The elderly white woman is an orphan too and traveled west in 1929 on an orphan train.
Kline has written six other novels orphan train, orphan train girl, the way life should be, sweet water, bird in hand, and desire lines and written or edited five works of nonfiction. A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. The orphans tale by pam jenoff book club discussion. The book club girl podcast is a biweekly podcast on which the shows cohosts, tavia kowalchuk and eliza rosenberry, talk about books perfectly suited for book clubs. See more ideas about orphan train, orphan and train. She is smart, strict, and authoritative, but wishes the children well and does her best to take care of their needs on the train. The main difference between the two versions, other than length, is the protagonists age. Orphan train is also similar to klines other works, a piece of the world 2017 and the way life should be 2007. This was a fascinating blend of the two, so i was in heaven.
The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are molly ayer, vivian daly. Christina baker klines orphan train has collided with the circus caravan from sara gruens water for elephants, and out of that wreck has come pam jenoffs the orphan s tale. One is a seventeen years old living in foster care. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions thoughtco. The orphans tale by pam jenoff was a very moving read. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Book club selection for august 2014 by christina baker kline historical fiction20273 pages publishers comments goodreads. The year is 2011 and molly is in trouble with the law. Bird in hand, the way life should be, desire lines and sweet water. Orphan train characters from litcharts the creators of. The orphan s tale made me stop, wait, think and want to absorb it before i went on to the next book. Seventeenyearold molly ayer knows that a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is.
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. Christina baker kline is a novelist, nonfiction writer and editor. The story follows two timelines, one modern day story of a 17 year old in foster care and one story that goes back to the historical time period of the last orphan trains in america in 1929 that brought many orphans to the midwest from the east coast. The characters were likable and the plot was really good. Orphan train christina baker kline harper academic. She served as writerinresidence at fordham university from 2007 to 2011 and. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions. The central character seems to live through an amalgamation of events that likely occurred to many different children and thus her childhood. The story follows two timelines, one modern day story of a 17 year old in foster care and one story that goes back to the historical time period of the last orphan. After my book club chose orphan train for our next meetup, i picked up my. In 2011, molly has been living in foster care for a while, and ends up doing community service for an elderly woman. Orphan black is a canadian science fiction television series broadcast on space in canada and on bbc america in the united states. Aug 18, 2018 the orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modernday foster care system. Vivian traveled from nyc to minnesota as a young girl on one of the infamous orphan trains that was used to get orphans out of the cities into the country where they might have a better opportunity to find families and to be able to make a good life.
Ill admit i am interested in books about wwii and oddly, about historic circus life. Pdf orphan train book by christina baker kline free. About the book orphan train tells the story of the unlikely friendship between molly ayers, a fosterkid hoping to avoid juvie, and vivian daly, the elderly woman she has been assigned to help. Seventeen years old at the time the novel is set, narration.
Reminiscent of elizabeth strouts amy and isabel, this orphan train carries us along until the stories of these two women become one. Seventeenyearold molly ayer knows that a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only think keeping her out of juvie and worse. Did you know where vivians journey would take her when you began the book. The ambassadors daughter book club discussion guide. The lost girls of paris book club discussion guide the title, the lost girls of paris, refers to twelve female intelligence agents who disappeared while on their missions overseas. Online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday. The orphans tale made me stop, wait, think and want to absorb it before i went on to the next book. Christina baker klines novel orphan train has ridden the new york times. We focus on one book each episode and interview the authorwith all of the questions coming from our listeners. Orphan train girl by christina baker kline, paperback. Like orphan train, doerrs novel is a work of historical fiction, portrays the experiences of orphans, has a twoplot structure, and retraces the lives of modernday characters by telling. Orphan train by christina baker kline i remember at the age of 10 or so reading a novel about the late19th and early 20thcentury orphan trains, which took children and babies from east coast slums and brought them to the midwest, where they were given an opportunity for a potentially prosperous new life in the fresh rural air. The orphans tale by pam jenoff book club discussion questions.
In 1929, niamh is a young girl who loses her family in a fire, and then she rides the orphan train to a new family in minnesota. From christina baker kline comes a novel about two women. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who, as the result of spending time together and sharing their experiences, form a bond, learn from each other, and change in significant ways. Mary cummings yes, its based on factual events in history, but the characters and. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. Penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of the foster. Vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. Lesson plans and resources for orphan train free library of. Rich in detail and epic in scope, orphan train by christina baker kline 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.
The two women astrid a jewish woman hiding and sheltered in a circus and noa a younger woman who was cast out from her home in the netherlands when she became pregnant. Kline lets us live the characters experiences vividly through their skin, and. Molly ayer is living with ralph and dina in their home in spruce harbor, maine. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of the foster. Apr 11, 2014 online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday, april 11, 2014 orphan train book discussion guide. Scatcherd is the matron of the orphan train during vivianniamh, dutchy and carmine s ride. Going back and forth between two stories, orphan train switches from 1929 new york city and minnesota, and then 2011 spruce harbor, maine. Book club kit discussion guide orphan train by christina.
Vivian daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of maine, but in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. Some of the food ideas are from the book like the terrys famous chowder but most of this book took place during the great depression so food was scarce and there was no way i was. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. Join the discussion on the third book in our summer reading book club, orphan train, by christina baker kline. Christina baker klines novel orphan train has ridden the new york times bestseller list for the past 15 weeks, becoming a favorite of book clubs across the country. Book clubs i would love to visit with your book club by skype or phone. Cindi from il orphan train is definitely a worthwhile. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Orphan train has most frequently been compared to all the light we cannot see 2014 by anthony doerr, a novel that explores the pasts of a german orphan and a blind french girl in germanoccupied france. Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant girl sent on an orphan train from new york city to minnesota in the late 1920s.
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