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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
No suelo leer libros de este tipo pero admito que me ha gustado bastante. Eso sí, ha sido golpe tras golpe porque no ha pasado prácticamente nada de lo que yo quería que pasara y sufro.
A lovely story partially about a largely unknown thing in our nation's history
This book was great - I think Jo may have recommended it to me. It's about an actual train that used to take orphans from the streets of New York City and bring them to the Midwest to be adopted by families who either wanted children or wanted cheap labor during the 1920's and 1930's. The book follows one particular girl through her journey and the different families she ended up living with, many of whom were abusive, and only one of whom ever treated her kindly as a member of their family.
This story is unwinding at the same time as another young woman in the 1990's is slowly aging out of the foster care system. As community service for a petty crime, she ends up helping an elderly neighbor clean out her attic, where they find the elderly neighbor's history is as one of these orphans.
While some of the parallels are obvious to the reader and some of the plot rather predictable, overall this book held my attention as I rooted for both orphans to find happiness.
This story is unwinding at the same time as another young woman in the 1990's is slowly aging out of the foster care system. As community service for a petty crime, she ends up helping an elderly neighbor clean out her attic, where they find the elderly neighbor's history is as one of these orphans.
While some of the parallels are obvious to the reader and some of the plot rather predictable, overall this book held my attention as I rooted for both orphans to find happiness.
Hugely overhyped. Sentimental, incompletely developed, and disappointing. I wanted so much more - and there are beautiful moments that make that seem possible. The sum doesn't equal the parts.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Love Love Historical fiction, relational, good Vivian character development
- history of the “social experiment” orphan train is so wild, sad, fascinating. Super devastating how the children were expected to be slaves, not emotionally supported, especially after such trauma. Treated like adults
- Loved Vivian’s storyline - felt so vivid, detailed, devastating. The trauma of losing her whole family (twins), all the awful families, and then the amazing teacher who takes her in, and all the strong women figures who inspire and lead her, then the couple who adopt her and seeing Vivian’s entrepreneurial spirit.
- Molly’s was less believable - but I enjoyed her opening up, and the idea of what you take on a portage with you
- So sad that Vivian had a sister alive all that time - felt like a storyline that didn’t wrap up really - except for maybe the reality of the unknown, the loss when she finally found out, but the peace of knowing she lived a full life.
Questions:
- what did you think about the parallel story lines with Vivian and Molly? Was it predictable to you?
- What items would you take to “portage” if you were an orphan? What would be meaningful?
Liked this despite the predictability and sometimes less than stellar writing. The orphan train phenomenon as a whole I found fascinating, and would have much preferred more historical information on that than the rather forced modern-day Molly storyline. I didn't connect with that viewpoint nearly as much, and wondered why the author chose first-person for the historical yet third-person for the modern day.
I loved this book! I listened to it on audible and felt like the narration was excellent.