Have you ever traced your ancestry to see what you would find in your past? A while back I had a cousin who did a little digging and an aunt who took it to a whole new level and the stuff I found out about my ancestry was fascinating. For instance, my ancestors came over to the American Colonies to escape religious persecution. I have Patriots, Abolitionists, criminals, innovators and bastards who all converge to make one half of who I am today.  I’d love to have more information about just one of my ancestors so I can piece together what their life story may look like.

In the 1920’s immigration was peaking in the United States. Everyday thousands of Europeans immigrants were crowding into New York City, living in over-crowded buildings and often with multiple generations in one-to-two room apartments.

When Niamh, a 7-year old Irish immigrant, loses her family in a tragic fire in the early 1920’s, she becomes dependent on the Christian Aid Society to find her a new family to raise and take care of her. She’s put on a train heading west where there are many stops along the way where children are peddled off to families who want a baby, who need a helper around the house or are looking for cheap labor.

Niamh is taken in by a family who needs another helping hand in the family business, making dresses for women. Her home has its issues such as her caretaker hording the food and the labor of working until her hands hurt from cold in the women’s clothes. But it could be worse and eventually it does.

Now Rachel, her next home is with a poor couple who can’t seem to stop pro-creating though the father of the brood can’t seem to keep a job and instead tries to live off the land by hunting rabbits and squirrels for the family to eat. After being blamed for giving the family fleas, Rachel escapes to the refuge of her favorite teacher’s home where she is taken in by the matriarch of the boarding house and nursed back to health.

Not a permanent position, Rachel once more is given to another family who needs a helper for their store. Not a fan of Rachel, her name is once again changed to Vivian. Will this home work out for her? Will she once again find herself a passenger on the Orphan Train headed back to New York City to live in an orphanage until she ages out of the system? What will happen to Vivian when she’s an adult?

Molly is a modern-day Vivian. A victim of tragedy, she has been in and out of foster care for as long as she can remember. Her current foster father is rooting for her, but her new foster mother is just waiting for her ti slip up in order to send her back.

Things come to a head when Molly is caught stealing and must spend her days helping an elderly Vivian clean out her attic. As Molly uncovers the story of Vivian’s past, she also finds ways to link Vivian to others like her. As each new layer is revealed, Molly learns to open up and trust the only person in the world who may be able to understand her.

I loved this book by Christina Baker Kline. The story was vivid and characters were unforgettable. From little Carmine who sucked sugar off Niamh’s fingers on the Orphan Train to Dutchy who caused all sorts of ruckus when he tried to run away in Chicago to Mr. Miller who loved  Rachel and cared for her when she needed it most. I give the story 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who loves a good story of overcoming obstacles. I often would think the story would go in one direction, just to be surprised that it was taking a different turn. It constantly kept me on my feet and kept me engaged.

I used Whispersync to listen/read this book and it was great. It worked really well and I found that I listened to the book more than I read it because I loved the narration.

Do you have someone in your family history that has ties to the 1920’s Orphan Train or another time in world history?