Questions every book club asks, the story behind the writing of orphan train, and more. This shouldnt come as a surprise to you, but i think orphan train would make a fantastic book club selection. See more ideas about orphan train, orphan train book and orphan. 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. I love when i find a winner with my book club and this is definitely a winner. 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. 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. Ask and answer questions about the novel or view study guides, literature essays and more. Orphan train by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders. The orphan train has several threads for book clubs to discuss. Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant girl sent on an orphan train from new york city to minnesota in the late 1920s. If you liked orphan train, you might enjoy the following books.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. In orphan train, christina baker kline seamlessly knits together the past and present of two women, one young and one old. Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club. Poll book tally orphan train by christina baker kline rounded up to 4 stars karin. Kline reminds us that we never really lose anyone or anything orperhaps most importantlyourselves. Author bio birth1964 raisedin maine and tennessee, usa, and the uk educationb.
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. Check out the video of this event to enjoy a discussion on hooplas fall 2018 book club spotlight title. If you enjoy historical fiction, check out this quick, easy read. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, orphan train girl includes an authors note and archival photos from the orphan train era.
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. 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. 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. Apr 11, 20 on the night of her high school graduation in 1986, kathryn campbells best friend, jennifer, vanished without a trace. We didnt talk about all of them, but we did hit on most of the main ones. She served as writerinresidence at fordham university from 2007 to 2011 and. 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. I found orphan train to be 100% accurate in its exploration of how orphans were treated yesterday and today. 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. How similar can the stories of two orphans, born years apart, be. 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.
Interview with christina baker kline at the center for fiction part one. 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. If not, you can visit the publisher or authors website and find online reading guides. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions thoughtco. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. A lot of the women in this group liked the book along with our. Feel free to respond to one, two, or all of them as well as share your overall thoughts. But, since the book has come out, have you found anything else that has surprised you even more.
A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp. 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. Book club kit discussion guide orphan train by christina. This is the book ive most been looking forward to reading this summer, so im ready to jump in with both feet. 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. One is a seventeen years old living in foster care. This study guide consists of approximately 42 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of orphan train. 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 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. 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.
Bird in hand, the way life should be, desire lines and sweet water. You even talk about the most interesting facts youve found. Orphan train book discussion guide book discussions. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Orphan train post meeting discussion the augusta book club. 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. Two of us had heard of orphan trains before reading this book. May 23, 2014 information about orphan trains and the book, orphan train by christina baker kline.
Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Not only is it entertaining and educational, it is also an excellent discussion book. 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. I also feel that, though the story is fiction, the subjectmatter explored, is not. Orphan train girl by christina baker kline reading guide. Orphan train post meeting discussion the augusta book. In addition to orphan train 2011 and a piece of the world 2017, her novels include bird in hand, the way life should be, desire lines, and sweet water.
These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. May 17, 2015 since orphan train was my book club choice for the year, i had to provide the discussion questions. Molly ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years. In the prologue vivian mentions that her true love died when she was. Find out in this lesson, which will go over a summary of orphan train by christina baker kline and discuss one of. Seventeenyearold molly ayer knows that a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only think keeping her out of juvie and worse. Book club books book nerd my books orphan train book orphan quotes train map the wild geese innocence lost happy stories. Vivian daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of maine, but in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. Orphan train by christina baker kline reading guidebook club. So, please respond, ladies heres some general questions to get the discussion going. 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. Carmine, whom she had to take care of while on the orphan train.
Orphan train girl by christina baker kline reading guidebook. I became interested in the story of the orphan trains because my husbands grandfather, frank robertson, was rumored to have been a train rider. Book discussion, book group, books to read, discussion questions. Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. 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. These questions about the novel can help foster discussion in your group.
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. This book focuses as eloquently as anything hemingway ever wrote on the horrors of being an orphan, both today and 100 years ago. 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. 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. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. Molly ayer is living with ralph and dina in their home in spruce harbor, maine. It was believed that he traveled on an orphan train from new york to jamestown, north dakota with. Orphan train by christina baker kline reading guidebook. Orphan train was a mix of favorite childhood books of mine such as anne of green gables, heidi, and understood betsy, and ms. Its been ten years since then, but kathryn still feels the conspicuous void in her lifeand the nagging, guilty sense that she has failed her friend. Poll book tally orphan train by christina baker kline rounded up to 4 stars. Orphan train tells the intertwined stories of two orphans born nearly a century apart. We didnt get a lot responses last month, so this month will determine whether or not we continue the book club. The year is 2011 and molly is in trouble with the law.
Online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups. Kline also commissioned and edited two widely praised collections of original essays on the first year of parenthood and raising young children, child of mine and room to grow. Christina baker kline is a novelist, nonfiction writer and editor. If you are the publisher or author of this book and. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. On the surface, vivians and mollys lives couldnt be more different. Orphan train questions and answers the question and answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature. 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. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. In addition to orphan train 2011 and a piece of the world 2017, her novels include bird in hand. Today, we welcome christina to the blog to discuss her experience with book clubs and the three most common questions that clubs have asked.
The characters are extremely interesting and certainly will generate some discussion. May 23, 2014 map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in 18531910. 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. Since orphan train was my book club choice for the year, i had to provide the discussion questions.
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