Orphan Train discussion

Orphan Train by Kristina Baker Kline follows the journey of two young women, across two separate times lines, merging together in the latter. At the age of 9, Molly’s father was killed in a motor vehicle accident, leaving her mother a single parent. Unable to deal with the pressures associated with raising a child alone, Molly’s mother begins a downward spiral into addiction, landing her in jail and Molly in foster care. In the 1920s, Vivian, an Irish immigrant, is living in a New York City apartment with her Mam, Pa, two brothers, and baby sister. Vivian’s father is an alcoholic and her mother suffers from “black moods and rages”, often leaving her to care for her siblings. When she is nine years old, just as Molly had been, a fire rips through her apartment building, killing her family and leaving Vivian an orphan. For both of these protagonist, they experience the social world of family in very similar ways. For both, they encounter the dilemma of loving parents who struggle to care for them in a manner that promotes healthy parent-child relationships. The social world of family in varying contexts continues to be explored as Molly moves from one foster family to the next becoming increasing isolated and distant from those she is sharing a home with. As for Vivian, she is taken across the country on an orphan train. During the early 1900s, children who were left as orphans or given up by their parents were transported across the country, put on display, and adopted by mid-western families. Often these adoptions were less about bringing a child into the folds of a family and more to do with servitude. This is something Vivian learns quickly when she is first adopted out to a seamstress and later to another family where she encounters a situation similar to the one she grew up in. Here, she is caretaker to many young children with absentee parents. Eventually, Vivian makes her way to a loving couple who show her the value of family. This event is what leads our protagonists to cross paths in 2011. A now teenage Molly, completing community service, is helping Vivian, now an old woman, clean out her attic. As Vivian shares the stories of her past, leading them both on a path of self-discovery, they develop a bond and respect for one another. In the end, they find family in each other and Molly finds a safe home with Vivian.