This was the other March 2023 Reading Circle book selection. Wow! I loved this book! I read it in two days (due to the necessity of needing to get it read before book club) but it was not a chore! I felt like the writing was far better than the previous book (The Personal Librarian) and the story was so interesting and moving. I appreciated how the author did give a pretty good picture of some of the horrors, but didn’t make it all so gory that it was hard to read. In many ways, I think that method is more powerful. Reading this book has caused me to go searching for more information online. I have found several videos of other ‘train people’ accounts of their stories. Such a hard time. Again, I keep thinking about humans are just not great. We have perpetuated abuse and trauma on other humans throughout all time. And we do it to the weakest among us, too... like children. ugh. I hate that. I am thankful that there are also instances of good that shine through. And glad this author brought those to light. Where would be without that?
I loved the character of Neev, Dorothy, Vivian and especially loved her feistiness at 91. She was written perfectly and I could just picture her sitting on the chair looking at Molly... taking it all in and deciding to trust her and care for her. And I loved the Molly character - again so well written. I could feel her angst and pain and intelligence and desire to be better... but not lose herself. And her need (legit!) to put up walls. Knowing this kind of thing happens all the time - and even here in my town, I wish I could be a foster parent. That just wasn’t our gift. But I am impressed with those who do it well. I think there is a special place in hell for those who abuse it.
I would love to have a sequel to this book... to learn about how the daughter and granddaughter and Vivian work out? To find out how Molly does? And Jack? And Terry? I loved this book. Loved the characters and will be thinking about it for a long time.
Also, I remembered that there was something in the Chariton Collector and sure enough... found that Dana K. had written about the Orphan Train. Her article is entitled Train of Promise and appears in the Spring 1987 (Vol. 7, No. 2 Issue 14) issue of The Chariton Collector. It tells about a man in Brashear specifically and also another man in LaPlata. I feel like I remember there being several folks in Novinger (with the coal mines) who came on the orphan train. I'm confident not all the stories were as rosy as the two depicted in the Chariton Collector...
Rated 4.65 by Zoom Reading Circle.
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