This excellent book contains two stories. The framework story concerns a foster girl, Molly, 17, who comes to do community service with an elderly woman, Vivian, age 91.
This is in the present day. The story of Vivian's life is the orphan train story as she was an orphan in the 1920's. Apparently, the orphan trains ran from the 1800's to the 1920's. The concept was to send orphans from New York on trains to the midwest where anyone could take one of the children. That person would raise the child or use them for work. The idea was that being raised in the midwest would provide better guidance to make good citizens than being raised in an orphanage or on the streets. Unfortunately, there are many heartbreaking stories of harsh treatment and difficulties ajusting. This book is very faithful to what it could have been like for one girl and how it affected her life. The author has a lot of insight into the minds of these children and it is a really good book.
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