The Orphan Train

The Orphan Train

Christina Baker Kline

Molly isn't like everyone else, a fact that she works very hard to achieve. Only months before she ages out of foster care, she is caught stealing a book at the library. Her discipline is community service. Helping a 91 year old lady clean out her attic isn't exactly her idea of a good time. But its juvenile hall is she can't complete her hours. And this is how a friendship begins between two people who, by appearances, couldn't be more different. But Molly learns that her new friend is a lot more like her than she'd ever imagined.

The story begins with Molly, but then transitions to Vivian, the elderly woman. The story moves back and forth between the two, entwining them seamlessly. The characters had depth and were engaging. I appreciated how she showed the good and bad of foster care without making the book depressing. While I really liked the two main characters, I also really liked several of the secondary characters. The plot focused mainly on the orphan train and made the historical story come to life. I also enjoyed the pictures and pieces of history that was attached to each them that the author shared at the back of the book. The author did her research and it showed throughout the book. The author has a beautiful writing voice and I'm looking forward to reading another book by this author.