HFP 5 Star medal
(December 2021)
Discovery (book 1) - The Orphan Train Saga
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback, Large print
While most use their summer breaks for pleasure, third grade teacher Cindy Moore is using her summer vacation to tie up some loose ends concerning her grandmother’s estate.
When Cindy enters the storage unit that holds her grandmother’s belongings, she is merely looking for items she can sell to recoup some of the rental fees she’s spent paying for the unit.
Instead, what she finds are secrets her grandmother has taken to the grave with her. The more Cindy uncovers, the more she wants to know. Why was her grandmother abandoned by her own mother? Why hadn’t she told Cindy she’d lived in an orphanage? And how come her grandmother never mentioned she’d made history as one of the children who rode the Orphan Trains?
Join Cindy as she uncovers her grandmother’s hidden past and discovers the life that stole her grandmother’s love.
Reviews
Highly recommend for fans who are interested in tales of family history, 1920s America, or who enjoy a hint of mystery in their historical fiction. Review by Jennifer C. Wilson. The Coffee Pot Book Club.
This historical fiction captured my attention from Chapter One; I did not want to put it down! Cindy is on summer break and begins cleaning out her deceased grandmother's storage unit. Cindy discovers her grandmother's journals and begins to understand why her grandmother would never show love and affection to her family. There are many lessons on love and forgiveness as Grandmother's hidden past is uncovered. Joan Fraiser, NOTC Board of Directors (National Orphan Train Complex) Mileta, an eight-year-old girl, is left in an orphanage by her mother. As with many children in similar situations, she never saw her mother again. The book chronicles how Mileta leaves the orphanage three years later on a cold day in 1924 to become part of the Orphan Train movement. For three weeks prior, the children received special schooling on manners that were designed to help them get chosen. The train ride west was accurately portrayed. The children, many who had never seen rural America, had eye-opening experiences. Through accurately detailing the duties of the placement agent, prospective parents learned that someone from the agency would visit once a year to check on the child and ensure their well being. Agents posted notices in the town asking families to open their home to give children a fresh new start. Children not finding homes would continue to another stop. The fictional "Discovery, The Orphan Train Saga," did an excellent job of presenting a factual story of Mileta though fiction." Keren Freeman, NOTC Volunteer (National Orphan Train Complex)
