Monday, June 24, 2013

Teaser Tuesday - Orphan Train

Maybe it's because my grandfather was an orphan, but ever since I heard about the real-life Orphan Trains, I've wanted to learn more. Christina Baker Kline's novel provides a realistic glimpse at that time in history.  It's a book about a teenager who is in foster care (present day) and a woman who was an Orphan Train child back in the early 1900s. Their stories are fascinating, and I came to care about the characters and the challenges they faced. Anyone who enjoys good fiction, taking place during real historical events, will be glad they read ORPHAN TRAIN. It's a book I won't soon forget.


Orphan Train

FYI: According to the author's notes, between 1854 and 1929 approximately 200,000 orphaned children were transported via rail from the East Coast to the Midwestern U.S. for the purpose of adoption. 

In my Teaser (from Page 28) the children are waiting on a train platform, getting ready to be considered for adoption:
I am with a group of twenty children, all ages. We are scrubbed and in our donated clothes, the girls in dresses with white pinafores and thick white stockings, the boys in knickers that button below the knee, white dress shirts, neckties, thick wool suit coats. It is an unseasonably warm October day, Indian summer, Mrs. Scatcherd calls it, and we are sweltering on the platform.

Genre: Literary Fiction
Length: 273 Pages
Amazon Link: ORPHAN TRAIN
Goodreads: Synopsis
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
  • Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers
  • Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

36 comments:

  1. I loved this story! The "foster child" aspect drew me in...but the older woman's story was even more engaging, in many ways. Thanks for sharing.

    Here's MY TUESDAY MEMES POST

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a feeling I found this book through your blog! So, thank you.

      Delete
  2. This really intrigues me! I was a volunteer guardian ad litem in Fort Lauderdale, working with foster kids. I'm going to have to get this one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a good story, Jacquie, and I think you'll enjoy it.

      Delete
  3. I've been running into this book all over the web. Sounds like a good one! My teaser: Caroline Takes a Chance

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great teaser. I will only be adding to my TBR pile!!

    Here is my post

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hadn't heard of this one. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The cover is really eye catching! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
    Happy reading!

    Jess @ Jess Time To Read

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The cover really does reflect the sadness those orphans must have felt. This was definitely a memorable story.

      Delete
  7. This looks like an interesting read! My teaser comes from a Dorothy Sayers mystery.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It sounds like a sad but inspiring book. I'm very interested. :) Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier! :)


    Andrea K. @ Books and Bindings

    ReplyDelete
  9. This one sounds emotional. I have to be in the right mood to read these types of books.

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. This sounds familiar, but I can't remember if I've read the book yet or not.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've heard wonderful things about this book...it's on my TBR list. Funny you mention that you think you found it through Laurel-Rain's blog. That's how I found The Violets of March!

    Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have so many books waiting on my Kindle that came from participating in this group. I love it!

      Delete
  12. Aww this sounds like something that would make me cry, thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. My goodness! What a touching story. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is on my must read this summer list!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This sounds like a powerful read! Great teaser!

    ReplyDelete
  16. i have heard many great things about this book but never got the chance of reading it... thanks for visiting my blog :D

    ReplyDelete
  17. Huh, that's fascinating! I had no idea that happened! This sounds like quite the interesting book. :)

    Thanks for visiting me today!

    Rachel @ Paper Cuts

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've not read this--seems like it might be sad. Thanks for sharing!

    My Friends Are Fiction

    ReplyDelete
  19. Interesting teaser! Thanks for sharing! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sounds like an intense read. Hope you're enjoying it so far :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. very interesting. I actually don't know anything about that episode in history, which is sad because I was a history major. This book looks fascinating! Thanks for stopping by my TT.

    LisaILJ @ I’ll Tumble for YA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The book is fascinating. It's one where the story keeps you entertained while you learn a little something too. I like that!

      Delete
  22. Interesting, it definitely sounds like an emotional book.
    Thanks for sharing and also for stopping by my blog!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This might be something I would pick up for a bit of a change. Thanks Sandy!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Initially I thought this was about the American Indian children who were taken to be adopted or about the resettled English children during the war. I never realized that America had "orphan trains". Hmmm ... I'll have to look into this one. (the things they DON'T teach you in school) ...

    ReplyDelete
  25. oh this sounds good. I may need to check this out!
    Trish @ tales from ...

    ReplyDelete
  26. I like your teaser! I do volunteer although not regularly so this is appealing to me.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Great teaser! I've heard about orphan trains, too, and thought it would make a great story. Apparently someone beat me to it! Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'll be hot too if I were wearing that.

    Thanks for stopping by Vonnie's Reading Corner.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thank you for the sharing this book. I had a great-great aunt who was part of the orphan train group. In many ways they were treated as slave labor until they were old enough to leave. Others were more fortunate and found good homes. My relative was one of the lucky ones.

    Keep up the wonderful posts.

    ReplyDelete

We would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment.