Nothing special happens till the day molly decides to steal a book. New york central train, 1929 union station, chicago, 1929 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 spruce harbor, maine, 2011 the milwaukee train, 1929. The year is 2011 and molly is in trouble with the law. Literary terms orphan train climax molly and dina get in a fight and she is forced to. 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.
Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. What message would you like your readers to take away from. Orphan train girl audiobook by christina baker kline, sarah. Orphan train by christian baker kline is the story of a surprising friendship between two women troubled. But in interviews, and on her blog, kline says one of the major themes she wanted to tackle. The orphan train community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author. One of the books protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed. Orphan train adventures series by joan lowery nixon. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train. One boys true story is about lee nailling, whose mother died when he was seven. Find helpful summaries and analyses for every chapter in christina baker klines orphan train.
Two years later, along with yet another brother, the boys were sent west on an orphan train. This 38page guide for orphan train by christina baker kline includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 7 parts, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Explore studypools library of literature materials, including. The orphan train community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Orphan train was a mix of favorite childhood books of mine such as anne of green gables, heidi, and understood betsy, and ms. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. One is a seventeen years old living in foster care. Lee and a younger brother, leo, were placed in an orphanage. 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. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Rich in detail and epic in scope, the train rider is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendships, and of the secrets we carry with us that keep us from finding out who we are. When molly transferred to mount desert island high school last year, in tenth grade, most of the kids seemed to go out of their way to avoid her. 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.
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. The book looks at both stories by having chapters that are in mrs. 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. Orphan train is a specifically american story of mobility and rootlessness, highlighting a littleknown but historically significant moment in our countrys past. 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. She declares that all of the people who have been central in her life are ghosts, including her true love, whom she lost when she was 23 years old, and her sister, maisie. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers.
Orphan train tackles some pretty heavy themes, such as finding family and figuring out your identity. Get all the key plot points of christina baker klines orphan train on one page. Spruce harbor, maine, 2011 union station, chicago, 1929 summary orphan train by christina baker kline spruce harbor, maine, 2011 union station, chicago, 1929 summary and analysis. The invention of hugo cabret is a highly illustrated historical fiction novel written by brian selznick and published in 2007. This young listeners edition of christina baker klines new york times bestselling novel orphan train follows a young foster girl who forms an unlikely bond with a 91yearold woman. Molly ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years old. How similar can the stories of two orphans, born years apart, be. Moving between contemporary maine and depressionera minnesota, orphan train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship. The novel follows an orphan boyhugowho, after the death of his uncle, lives by himself in the walls of a paris train station, repairing the clocks. Orphan train by christina baker kline plot summary litcharts. Sarah burghardt orphan train is a unique book because it tells two stories that come together in the end.
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. Paperback original orphan train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from christina baker kline, author of bird in hand and. 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. Questions every book club asks, the story behind the writing of orphan train, and more. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the east coast to the farmlands of the midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging.
She tried to steal a book from the spruce harbor public library, an act which. The author sends a powerful message to people of different age groups, origins and beliefs. Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant girl sent on an orphan train from new york city to minnesota in the late 1920s. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who. In orphan train, christina baker kline seamlessly knits together the past and present of two women, one young and one old. Please use the link provided below to generate a unique link valid for 24hrs. Orphan train is so beautifully written, and the characters are inspiring. Molly ayer is living with ralph and dina in their home in spruce harbor, maine.
Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains transported more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children from the coastal cities of the eastern united states to. A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp. Prologue page 3 summary the novel begins with 91 yearold vivians first person narration. They take niamh to the childrens aid society, and the agency sends niamh out to the midwest on an orphan train. Orphan train is a novel which shows how important it is to trust in a better future, fight your fears, and just be kind and compassionate. Orphan train summary orphan train by christina baker kline summary and. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, orphan train girl includes an authors note. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of anne of green gables and what it means. Orphan train is also similar to klines other works, a piece of the world 2017 and the way life should be 2007. 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.
In three sentences, how would you describe your book. Spruce harbor, maine, 2011 union station, chicago, 1929. 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. Spruce harbor, maine, 2011 union station, chicago, 1929 summary. Just before dutchy goes home with a farmer in minneapolis, minnesota, he and niamh promise to find each other again someday. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. Find out in this lesson, which will go over a summary of orphan train by christina baker kline. On the train, niamh befriends dutchy, a twelveyearold boy, and takes care of carmine, a toddler.
Operatingprimarily as a historical novel, orphan train is grounded in the record of. Kline reminds us that we never really lose anyone or anything orperhaps most importantlyourselves. This is an old and worn copy of jane eyre, which is her favorite story. 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.
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