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Comments (109)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 109 items
Jan 21, 2024niewegec rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This was a beautiful and heartbreaking story that intertwined two different generations of women, who had undergone very similar experiences. I found Vivian to be a complex, crotchety but insightful character who has overcome so many…
Sep 13, 2023bell5133 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Nice novel which weaves together the stories of a modern goth Native American foster girl named Molly and an old lady named Vivian who was an Irish orphan in her own childhood. Overall I liked the book, but I have some minor…
Jul 01, 2023CareyMacaulay rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book was amazing. I absolutely loved the story of Niamh Power/Dorothy Nielsen/Vivian Daly. I was moved, I learned a history lesson, and I was left wanting more. And that's no small ask of a 91-year-old. I refuse to write another word…
Jan 05, 2022JadedButterfly rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book. As someone who has lived in the foster care system, it sometimes got a bit much. A lot of triggers in that regards but an amazing read. I struggled to put it down.
Dec 20, 2021LBLibrary_KL rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book is about resiliency, intergenerational friendship, family, and identity. It was an interesting and fairly quick read.
Oct 25, 2021valeriaedwards rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
excellent while being somewhat heartbreaking. Based on true events. There's an orphan train museum in Concordia, KS that I'd like to attend some day.
May 16, 20210424pat rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Holocaust Lit. Simple read.
Mar 07, 2021t_lynschm77 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I devoured this book! It was very well-written with great character development, great historical facts, and a nicely wrapped ending. The stories of the children from the orphan train simply blow my mind. The resiliency and survival of…
Nov 17, 2020
Excellent
Sep 19, 2020sonies rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Wow!! I just finished this wonderful book. Found it very hard to put down but I guess it was necessary to sleep and eat so I managed to break away. The story is very engrossing and is also very moving. I've tried to recommend the book…
Jul 26, 2020
Very good read of history of orphans in American history
May 16, 2020celiawhite99 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent quick read! Captivating too
Mar 20, 2020Jenkskitten rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
At first I did not like the jumping back and forth from the past to the present. However, the author did an excellent job of blending the stories together. Life as an orphan from Ireland and yet as a nine year old child is heart…
Mar 19, 2020
This book was the topic of a lot of book clubs and I picked it up to see what all the talk was about. I was not disappointed. I knew nothing about the history of the "orphan trains" in the United States. The story flows simultaneously with…
Jan 27, 2020MyTake rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I'm glad that what happened to orphans during this period gains increasing attention and remembrance through historical novels. I enjoyed this one, and how it wove the parallel stories together.
Dec 05, 2019mkwinebrenner rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I really liked the one story line, but the other (modern) one felt trite. I wanted to skip the chapters about Molly and go straight to the Vivian goodness. I'm sure their stories eventually overlap and intertwine better (I imagine through…
Nov 01, 2019pboyer rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Good for CASA volunteers
Sep 20, 2019
Returning for long wait list - will try later.
Aug 06, 2019Tica77 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I knew very little about these orphan trains which brought thousands of children from New York to the American mid-west in the late 1920s. The author’s research on the topic was excellent and the way she brought together a 91 year-old…
Aug 05, 2019heyitscori rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Historical fiction is my favourite genre and this one does not disappoint. Throughout the book we get to know a little girl from 1929 as well as another girl from 2011. Their stories collide in the modern 2011 era. Reading about the lives…
Aug 02, 2019roen_james rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I TOTALLY agree with Dream24! The book is amazing. But is also VERY accurate in the mishaps that happen to Vivian. There is some sexual content such as in child abuse through it, but, as a thirteen year old I was not bothered by it. It's…
Aug 30, 2018Dream24 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I rather enjoyed reading this book. The book alternates between Vivian's (when she was a child) and Molly's (teenager) point of view and lives. Vivian's story is especially interesting because there really were orphan trains that…
Jul 05, 2018TheresaAJ rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
When 17-year-old Molly Ayer is sentenced to 50 hours of community service for stealing a library book, she helps Vivian Daly, a 91-year-old widow, clean out the boxes in her attic. As Molly, a foster child, becomes more involved with the…
Jul 04, 2018AnnSkye rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A real eye opener for anyone not familiar with this period in American history. My heart was full for all these poor boys and girls. A well written novel and a recommended read.
May 24, 2018deestef rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Heartwarming and heartbreaking story following two characters from different eras. Loved how the women's lives and souls intertwined. Very well crafted novel about a period in history most of us knew nothing about.