A young irish immigrant orphaned in new york city, vivian was put on a train to the midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies. Molly ayer is living with ralph and dina in their home in spruce harbor, maine. Online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups. Penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of the foster care system. I remember at the age of 10 or so reading a novel about the late19th and early 20thcentury orphan trains, which took children and babies.
Christina baker kline is a novelist, nonfiction writer and editor. If you enjoy historical fiction, check out this quick, easy read. This book focuses as eloquently as anything hemingway ever wrote on the horrors of being an orphan, both today and 100 years ago. Christina baker klines novel orphan train has ridden the new york times bestseller list for the past 15 weeks, becoming a favorite of book clubs across the country. The reality of this heartbreaking time provided for an interesting storyline. May 23, 2014 information about orphan trains and the book, orphan train by christina baker kline.
Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant girl sent on an orphan train from new york city to minnesota in the late 1920s. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of. So, please respond, ladies heres some general questions to get the discussion going. Discussion questions book club recommendationsdiscussion. Not only is it entertaining and educational, it is also an excellent discussion book. Christina baker klines novel orphan train has ridden the new york times bestseller list for the past 15 weeks, becoming a favorite of book clubs. Some authors artfully employ alternating voices such as in orphan train or in the five points of. Orphan train is a best book club book for discussion, the novel of a woman with a hidden past as an orphantrain rider and a teenage girl seeking answers about her life. We didnt talk about all of them, but we did hit on most of the main ones. Orphan train girl by christina baker kline reading guidebook. Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club.
We meet in a private facebook group and chat about a new book every month. Thoughtful, poignant, sobering summary from publisher. The two women astrid a jewish woman hiding and sheltered in a circus and noa a younger woman who was cast out from her home in the netherlands when she became pregnant. Book club questions for the orphan train by christina baker. A lot of the women in this group liked the book along with our strong male contingency of one but not as much as i did. I also feel that, though the story is fiction, the subjectmatter explored, is not. Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. Orphan train by christina baker kline i remember at the age of 10 or so reading a novel about the late19th and early 20thcentury orphan trains, which took children and babies from east coast slums and brought them to the midwest, where they were given an opportunity for a potentially prosperous new life in the fresh rural air. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who, as the result of spending time together and sharing their experiences, form a bond, learn from each other, and change in significant ways. Orphan train by christina baker kline reading group guides. Sep 05, 2016 when you choose a popular book club book, you can often find a wealth of book discussion questions already written for you.
Orphan train was a mix of favorite childhood books of mine such as anne of green gables, heidi, and understood betsy, and ms. Orphan train by christina baker kline tells the story of molly and vivian, two people who seem very different, but discover that they have similar stories. Today, we welcome christina to the blog to discuss her experience with book clubs and the three most common questions that clubs have asked. Orphan train post meeting discussion the augusta book club. Orphan train girl by christina baker kline reading guide. Yes a little reminiscent of that powerful book the nightingale by kristin hannah, however very different in its own right. If not, you can visit the publisher or authors website and find online reading guides. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. I found orphan train to be 100% accurate in its exploration of how orphans were treated yesterday and today. Rich in detail and epic in scope, orphan train by christina baker kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are. We didnt get a lot responses last month, so this month will determine whether or not we continue the book club. Poll book tally orphan train by christina baker kline rounded up to 4 stars.
Online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday. These questions about the novel can help foster discussion in your group. Luckily, there were some provided in the back of the book which i have listed below. Bird in hand, the way life should be, desire lines and sweet water.
Check out the video of this event to enjoy a discussion on hooplas fall 2018 book club spotlight title. Vivian traveled from nyc to minnesota as a young girl on one of the infamous orphan trains that was used to get orphans out of the cities into the country where they might have a better opportunity to find families and to be able to make a good life. Ask and answer questions about the novel or view study guides, literature essays and more. Book club resources and questions to get you started and keep your discussion going. I love when i find a winner with my book club and this is definitely a winner. Everything is horrible and wonderful author stephanie wittels wachs met hoopla book club readers at the pearland library of the brazoria county library system, located in texas. Nyt best selling author christina baker kline answers the top ten questions book clubs ask about orphan train. Orphan train by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. Book discussion, book group, books to read, discussion questions.
Orphan train by christina baker kline is a book that has many themes. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions thoughtco. Orphan train book discussion guide book discussions. Since orphan train was my book club choice for the year, i had to provide the discussion questions. The orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modernday foster care. Carmine, whom she had to take care of while on the orphan train. In orphan train, vivian dalys firstperson, pasttense account of her experience on the orphan train and her journey from irishcatholic immigrant to protestant midwesterner alternates with the presentday, presenttense, thirdpersonlimited story of vivians life on the maine coast. Book club kit discussion guide orphan train by christina. Reminiscent of elizabeth strouts amy and isabel, this orphan train carries us along until the stories of these two women become one. A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp. She served as writerinresidence at fordham university from 2007 to 2011 and. Today, we welcome christina to the blog to discuss her experience with book clubs and the three most common questions that clubs have asked her about the novel. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, orphan train girl includes an authors note and archival photos from the orphan train era.
Online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday, april 11, 2014 orphan train book discussion guide. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. A young irish immigrant orphaned in new york city, vivian was put on a train to the midwest with hundreds of other children. This part of our american history was unknown to a few of our readers. Orphan train is a best book club book for discussion, the novel of a woman with a hidden past as an orphan train rider and a teenage girl seeking answers about her life.
Molly ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years. One is a seventeen years old living in foster care. This is the book ive most been looking forward to reading this summer, so im ready to jump in with both feet. Molly, half indian, has stolen a library book and is. The orphan train has several threads for book clubs to discuss. Kline has written six other novels orphan train, orphan train girl, the way life should be, sweet water, bird in hand, and desire lines and written or edited five works of nonfiction. Find resources for your book club, whether it meets in your living room or across cyberspace. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.
Find out in this lesson, which will go over a summary of orphan train by christina baker kline and discuss one of the major themes. Aug 18, 2018 the orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modernday foster care system. The orphan train transported a reported 200,000 children from the east coast to the midwest between 1854 and 1929. The first concerns a frustrated, angry teen who has been bounced around the foster care system from one uncaring home to another, unloved and generally unwanted. Questions every book club asks, the story behind the writing of orphan train, and more. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. Delve deeper into the books making the charts, and get tips for keeping your reading group engaged. I may be biased, but moms book nook is the best online moms book club youll find. Jan 31, 2014 nyt best selling author christina baker kline answers the top ten questions book clubs ask about orphan train.
Orphan train thanks for joining us as we start the our final book of the summer reading book club, orphan train by christina baker kline. Orphan train by christina baker kline reading guidebook. Feel free to respond to one, two, or all of them as well as share your overall thoughts. We announce the book selection on the first monday of the month and discuss on the last monday of the month at. Orphan train post meeting discussion the augusta book. Want to see these questions in action, and join a fun monthly online book club no awkward silences, promise. Christina answers top 10 book club questions youtube. The orphans tale by pam jenoff was a very moving read. See more ideas about orphan train, orphan train book and orphan. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation.
Apr 11, 2014 online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday, april 11, 2014 orphan train book discussion guide. Orphan train book club ideas part 2 delicious reads. Before the discussion began we were told to pick a picture from the. Orphan train by christina baker kline reading guidebook club. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Molly ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years old. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the east coast to the farmlands of the midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose. Orphan train tells the intertwined stories of two orphans born nearly a century apart. Some authors artfully employ alternating voices such as in orphan train or in the five points of view barbara kingsolver uses in the poisonwood bible. On the surface, vivians and mollys lives couldnt be more different.
The year is 2011 and molly is in trouble with the law. Two of us had heard of orphan trains before reading this book. In the prologue vivian mentions that her true love died when she was 23, but she doesnt mention the other big secret in the book. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. Vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families.
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