A review by shirleytupperfreeman
A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline

As with her popular book, Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline, develops her story around a piece of history. The model for Andrew Wyeth's famous painting, Christina's World, was Christina Olson from Cushing, Maine. Christina had a degenerative disease which eventually left her unable to walk. Rather than accept help, even in the form of a wheelchair, Christina preferred to crawl. Painter Andrew Wyeth developed a 'kindred spirit' relationship with Christina and her brother and used them, and their old-fashioned farm, as inspiration for much of his work. It will be fun to see the painting sometime after 'knowing' the model. I found the story a little slow at first - perhaps because Christina's life was so circumscribed. Kline portrays Christina as a tough survivor who isn't particularly charming but is capable of deep relationships.