I don't often mention my "adult" reading life on these pages, mostly because it is reading meant for adults and, therefore, of little interest to my young adult audience on this page. However, after reading friend-recommended Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, I decided to include it here as the story really revolves around two children/young adults as they encounter the challenges of being orphaned and fostered.
Orphan Train has two parallel stories. In one, Niamh, an Irish immigrant girl in Depression era New York City, finds herself an orphan after a devastating fire. She is put on an orphan train, a charitable organization's attempt to remove orphan children from the streets of the city by taking them out west on a train. The second story is about Molly, a young girl whose father has died and whose mother is in jail. She is in the modern era foster-care system in Bar Harbor, Maine.
These two stories converge in a fascinating and satisfying way. I couldn't put this book down. As I said, the book is really written for an adult audience, but a mature young adult reader who enjoys historical fiction and family relationships would probably enjoy this book.
Orphan Train has two parallel stories. In one, Niamh, an Irish immigrant girl in Depression era New York City, finds herself an orphan after a devastating fire. She is put on an orphan train, a charitable organization's attempt to remove orphan children from the streets of the city by taking them out west on a train. The second story is about Molly, a young girl whose father has died and whose mother is in jail. She is in the modern era foster-care system in Bar Harbor, Maine.
These two stories converge in a fascinating and satisfying way. I couldn't put this book down. As I said, the book is really written for an adult audience, but a mature young adult reader who enjoys historical fiction and family relationships would probably enjoy this book.