The Orphan Train

by Aurand Harris

Play script by Aurand Harris. A highly theatrical story, moving, amusing, and always tellingly human of nine orphans on an Orphan Train that left New York City on May 28, 1914, and traveled to midwestern towns in search of homes for the children. Open stage, period costumes of the day. Written for 3 boys and 6 girls (one dressed as a boy), 7 men and 8 women - - who may be played by as few as 1 man and 1 woman.

Orphaned, unwanted children, seeking a hope of home, any home, anywhere. There's Mary, Evie, spunky Pegeen, Annie, and Little Lucy, a quiet one. There's Frank (who later becomes Frankie a small girl), Raymond, Lucky, and Danny the song-and-dance boy. And there are the men and women hoping for children. The lonesome whistle wails as the train chugs between encounters of anxiety, laughter, wistfulness, rejection and acceptance. Eight stories unfold, each a memorable surprise. Premiered at Northwestern University in Evanston, and acclaimed throughout Chicago, THE ORPHAN TRAIN is a charming heart-warmer, all we expect from Aurand Harris, the great playwright of and for children in the twentieth century.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club, Fiction, Plays

53 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been a great book. For the most part, I enjoyed the part that takes place in the past, but did not like the modern storyline so much. The author clearly was pushing a political agenda and the foster mother in the modern storyline was a caricature of what the author thinks a right-wing Christian is like. The author is clearly anti-Christian, as all of the characters in the book that are "Christians" are the bad guys. I wouldn't mind so much if the author knew anything about the Christian religion, but by some of the references, the author is pretty much clueless about it. For example, In the flashback story, the author describes a Catholic character as a "Bible Thumper" (that's not the word she used, but it was something like that.) This character was a Catholic in the 1920's, Catholics, especially at that point in history, were not all that Biblical, that is a Protestant thing. Another example is a story where the old lady gets a necklace from her grandmother before she left Ireland. She says her grandmother got it when she was 13 for her First communion. Catholics make their First communion at the age of 7 or 8. The author must have confused the Catholic Church for the Church of Ireland (Which is Anglican) which does have First communion (and Reconciliation and Confirmation) at the age of 13. Just lazy researching on the authors part.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millions of children (mostly immigrant) in the 1920s and 30s were abandoned or orphaned, rounded up by Children's Societies in the New York and other major East Coast cities, and shipped by trains to the midwest for "adoption." This fictional story follows the life of one ten year old girl (Niamh/Dorothy/Vivian), whose experience is representative of the Orphan Train children. Her story unfolds as she cleans out her attic with a teenage girl whose been mandated to volunteer some community service hours.

I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes I felt like the author was trying to pack a little too much into the main character's life, but she did a tremendous amount of research on the Orphan Trains, and I am guessing that all the things that happened to young Naimh/Dorothy are (sadly) not so far fetched for one child. The author throws some surprises in near the end of the book that I found to be very lovely (you might need a kleenex here and there).

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Especially glad to hear it is based on actual events. Young Niamh and her family escaped Ireland to try a new life in America in the early 20th century. She eventually loses her family in a fire and is sent west with other orphans to find a new family. Yes, this really happened in our country!

Her adventures make her a smart and tough lady. We hear her story from the past, while in the present, a young lady named Molly has been in a number of different foster families until she comes to Niameh's town (and Niameh's is now renamed Vivian by her latest foster parents years ago). How their stories entwine makes for a fascinating read. It is heartening to watch their unlikely friendship (a 90 year old lady and a 17 year young girl) grow. Vivian (Niameh) knows what Molly is going through, and together they help one another out.

The only thing I did not like about the story was Niameh's ancestral baggage: mother has many children, mother is sickly, dad is an Irish drunk. Can't we get more originality!!! But I would still recommend this book

[Helen Hando · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a part of American history that I had never heard of. Trains that ran from the east coast full of orphan children to be given to families across the country beetween 1854 and 1929. Some were given to truly good people wanting a child, while other children ended up in families who were looking for free labor. The author does a great job telling the story of these orphan trains through the lives of two women, Molly and Vivian who intertwine the past and present.

[Micha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I acted out this play as my first acting role in high school! I played the part of Frank/Frankie (the boy who turns out to be a girl), and had no idea how impactful the experience would be for me years later. Long story short, I'm now a New York City resident, providing counseling to youth in foster care :-) My life's aspirations are to make it easier for these deserving children to find and keep the loving homes that want them, and to become a foster and adoptive parent myself.

[LILY · Rating 5 out of 5]

An orphan train with full of anxiety. Every orphan is anticipating future. Most of them are adopted by cruel foster parents. They are just free labors, living in a crucial environment, and even beaten by foster parents. My tears flooring because I feel how someone’s childhood affects their whole life. Someone grew up with no love who can’t trust anyone and insecure all their life, Vivian is just like this even she finally be adopted by a kind couple. She feels no love but food and rules. Dutchy is only light in her dark life, after she’s been through so much hopeless and loneliness, shes finally been together with Dutchy but soon the war took away him. She’s broken. Can I even blame her to give away her daughter who could be go through her miserable life. I don’t know. If I were her. I’ll definitely have the daughter be with me. Even she’ll remind me of my broken life every moment. I just can’t let her go.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

good review:

Millions of children (mostly immigrant) in the 1920s and 30s were abandoned or orphaned, rounded up by Children's Societies in the New York and other major East Coast cities, and shipped by trains to the midwest for "adoption." This fictional story follows the life of one ten year old girl (Niamh/Dorothy/Vivian), whose experience is representative of the Orphan Train children. Her story unfolds as she cleans out her attic with a teenage girl whose been mandated to volunteer some community service hours.

I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes I felt like the author was trying to pack a little too much into the main character's life, but she did a tremendous amount of research on the Orphan Trains, and I am guessing that all the things that happened to young Naimh/Dorothy are (sadly) not so far fetched for one child. The author throws some surprises in near the end of the book that I found to be very lovely (you might need a kleenex here and there).

[Helen Hando · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a part of American history that I had never heard of. Trains that ran from the east coast full of orphan children to be given to families across the country beetween 1854 and 1929. Some were given to truly good people wanting a child, while other children ended up in families who were looking for free labor. The author does a great job telling the story of these orphan trains through the lives of two women, Molly and Vivian who intertwine the past and present.

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the story, but felt a bit sad at plight of orphan children. Actually, I met a woman who knew the story as her mother lived through the era and had a neighborhood friend who was also orphaned and rode the train.

[Cheri Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. It was enlightening to me and sparked my interest to study this subject a bit more. The ending was satisfying and a bit surprising.

[Teresa Way · Rating 4 out of 5]

an excellent book

[Barbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking true story. Well written

[Shamm7599gmail.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great recounting of how children we dropped off in remote areas not to be parts of families, but to seve as child laborers.

[Ann Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated this book, I loved this book!

What these children had to endure is sinful.

[Ruthann Proch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. It will hold your interest.

[Sue Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning more about events and times of the orphan trains. I also thought the writing was enjoyable and easy to follow.

[Yamile Méndez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story about a pretty much unknown event in American history. I love historical novels and was very intrigued by this book. I like how tactfully the author approaches some delicate aspects of these kids' lives. I did feel tough that there was a lot of telling and the transitions in time and from place to place were too abrupt. I felt like there were chucks missing in the story, and unbelievably, I didn't totally connect with the main character, Niamh when she was an adult. Her telling of the story when she was a child never felt like it was told from a kid's point of view though, but at least there was some emotion in her voice. I liked the ending, but later on, thinking about this story, wondered how in I don't know how many pages, the main character doesn't get along with a single woman. All the women in the story are evil or indifferent to Niamh. That really did bug me, a lot.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book.... 1920's & 30's .....beautiful & descriptive reading....I love to read historical fiction. This book tells the story of Vivian (born Niamh (Ireland)) now in her 90s who came from New York to Minnesota at a time when our country had no system for caring for orphans. Left to churches and charities to deal with these children and taken to various cities and given to anyone who wanted a child. The result for some was no better than being a slave, some found loving homes and a better life. This story is of Molly, a foster child in present day. As the story unfolds and both of these people come to peace with their past they discover they have much more in common than you would think.

Wonderful read....

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to read historical fiction. This book tells the story of Vivian(born Niamh) now in her 90s who came from New York to Minnesota at a time when our country had no system for caring for orphans. Left to churches and charities to deal with these children we taken to various cities and given to anyone who wanted a child. The result for some was no better than being a slave, some found loving homes and a better life. This story is juxtaposed with they story of Molly, a foster child in present day. As the story unfolds and both of these people come to peace with their past they discover they have much more in common than you would think.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read, good story that mirrors a history I knew very little about. Apparently from 1850-1920, over 20,000 orphaned children were sent via train from NYC and east coast to the midwest for "adoption" (which was really indentured servitude). Most of these were of Irish and Polish descent and recent immigrants, so the culture and descriptions hit home. What children went through during that period... forced into adult situations far before they should. Teetered between present day and the past nicely. Nice close-out with historical pictures at the end... I enjoyed that connection to the past.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1854 to 1929 there were orphan trains taking thousands of abandoned children from the cities of the East to the farmlands of the west. This is the story of one of those train riders and and a foster child today. Starting in Ireland, we follow the life of Niamh/Dorothy/Vivian. Born in Ireland, brought to the US as a child then winding up in an orphanage and finally on the train to the west. Paralleling Vivian’s story is Molly, a young girl caught in a multiple foster home situation. How these two finally bring a feeling of peace to each other makes an interesting story.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging, easy read. Although I know it's true, I still find it hard to believe that orphans were transported across the country to be adopted by parents who put them to work or sexually abused them. I enjoyed the bond between the the 91 year old woman and the young American Indian orphan. The author did a nice job of intertwining their lives and experiences without getting overly complicated.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that I bet very few American know about. Children orphaned by life's circumstances prior to the Great Depression were trained out to the Midwest and "adopted" families. Some got lucky but many we're put to work on farms, in sweat shops, etc...Oftentimes the conditions were squalid. The story is about an old woman and a young girl and how they forge a relationship under adverse circumstances.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick read and I loved a lot about the story but felt like the writing was a bit gratuitous. I don't need everything tied up neatly and when characters have a tough life like she described I have a hard time believing that they would do some of the things they did, it was just too convenient to write it that way. Maybe I'm too fussy but it doesn't have to be a Hallmark tv movie to be a great read!

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not technically a "beach read" I did, in fact, read it on the beach. It's a fine book and according to the section at the end of the book it's based, at least in historical references, on true happenings. Pretty sad. The story lines up sort of prettily so much so that one could easily foresee most of what was coming. Made for a quick read. Biggest take away for me was that this happened at all, because I had never heard of it.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking but also hopeful story of the children who were sent from the East Coast to the Midwest in hopes of a new home during the Great Depression. With somewhat good intentions, these children were peddled like cattle to owners who either sought children of their own, or, more likely, help on their farms and assistance with raising their own kids.

A good read with many interesting characters, both good, bad and downright pathetic.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very informative history that was unknown to me about a very sad time in the lives of immigrants and their children and the poor solution, “orphan trains”. The foster child’s story that leads into the history of a particular child in the orphan train is shallow and not well developed. The information on the orphan trains is good but the story is so simply written that it borders on being for 9-10 year olds (except for one sexual incidence).

[AMB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never knew about the orphan trains in America. This book captured my attention from the first page and I had a hard time putting it down to do things like go to work and sleep. It has a good balance between a teenager in modern day Maine and an elderly woman who is a product of the orphan train. Their lives draw on similar experiences -- being without a family -- and it ends on a high note.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really liked this one. Our book club members were all surprised about the number of kids whoe to the U.S. as orphans, or were sent by their parents, hoping their children would have a for a better life. Great illustration of the hardships the immigrants to the U.S. have experienced and overcome. I am grateful that we are a nation of resourceful immigrants.

[Kirstin Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book. 1) half of it is set in Maine, not far from where I grew up, which made me long for home. 2) historical fiction, and about a part of history with which I was not previously familiar, & 3) well written, great character development.
This book was selected as our book club book for next month. So glad it was!