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Hearts on the Rails #1
Orphan Train Escape
Bridget Collins is in dire straits - she needs to get out of New York, fast. With two young siblings under her wing, her options are limited.Her priest sends her as an outplacement agent on the orphan trains that run from New York to out west. With almost forty orphans under her care, she's relieved, fellow and more experienced outplacement agent, Carl Watson, is there to guide her.But Carl is dealing with his own trauma and finds it difficult to handle the pain the orphans are dealing with.Through tears and laughter, everyone on the orphan train has a lesson to teach about love, life and loyalty. And Bridget finds a new, unexpected calling. Every child deserves a happy home and Bridget is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that happens. No matter what the cost�
452 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2018
5525 people are currently reading
4352 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Wesson
84books347followersRachel Wesson was born in Kilkenny, Ireland but considers herself to be from the capital, Dublin as that's where she spent most of her life. Her dad brought Rachel and her two sisters out every Saturday to give their mother a break. He took them to the library and for ice-cream after. It took a long time for her sisters to forgive her for the hours she spent choosing her books!
She grew up driving everyone nuts asking them questions about what they did during the War or what side they were on in the 1916 rising etc. Finally her Granny told her to write her stories down so people would get the pleasure of reading them. In fact what Granny meant was everyone would get some peace while Rachel was busy writing!
When not writing, or annoying relatives, Rachel was reading. Her report cards from school commented on her love of reading especially when she should have been learning. Seems you can't read Great Expectations in Maths. After a doomed love affair and an unpleasant bank raid during which she defended herself with a tea tray, she headed to London for a couple of years. (There is a reason she doesn't write romance!). She never intended staying but a chance meeting with the man of her dreams put paid to any return to Ireland. Having spent most of her career in the City, she decided something was missing. Working in the City is great but it's a young person's dream. Having three children you never see isn't good for anyone. So she packed in the job and started writing. Thanks to her amazing readers, that writing turned into a career far more exciting and rewarding than any other.
Rachel lives in Surrey with her husband and three children, two boys and a girl. When not reading, writing or watching films for "research" purposes, Rachel likes to hang out with her family. She also travels regularly back home - in fact she should have shares in BA and Aerlingus.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 456 reviews
October 31, 2020
I've read several books about the Orphan Train. This author has chosen to add romance to the story of which I didn't like. I felt it was out of place. The book was a bit fluffy for me.
April 5, 2019
AUDIOBOOK: Read 4th April 2019 😒Have returned it
5hrs 58min
Narrator: Ruth Urquhart Does a good enough job.
Maybe good for some who have not yet heard about these orphan trains.
The story line was good but this was very drab...Thought it would be a lot better. To much wishy washy at the end.
5hrs 58min
Narrator: Ruth Urquhart Does a good enough job.
Maybe good for some who have not yet heard about these orphan trains.
The story line was good but this was very drab...Thought it would be a lot better. To much wishy washy at the end.
September 16, 2019
I had recently read another young adult book about the orphan trains and was interested enough I wanted to learn more. My local library didn't have the other series so I thought I would give this one a try. Set in America shortly before the beginning of the civil war it gives an interesting look at how people found themselves on the orphan trains and how no matter how well intended they might be, the placements of the children didn't always work out well.
There is a quite a strong element of Christian faith in the novel which will be a plus for some and less so for others. For me it wasn't an issue. I felt I was getting to know the different characters fairly well and was intrigued enough with the story that I got the second book in the series and also have the third waiting in kindle app for me to read. These are not heavy books in terms of literary style and would be well suited for young adults readers.
There is a quite a strong element of Christian faith in the novel which will be a plus for some and less so for others. For me it wasn't an issue. I felt I was getting to know the different characters fairly well and was intrigued enough with the story that I got the second book in the series and also have the third waiting in kindle app for me to read. These are not heavy books in terms of literary style and would be well suited for young adults readers.
October 29, 2020
What a heartbreaking, but such a sweet and inspiring story! At the turn of the century, New York is a divided city with mansions of the haves and the crowded and filthy tenement buildings of the have-nots. Women and immigrants have virtually no rights and have to rely on their employers� goodwill. However, when Bridget refuses to become her employer’s newest plaything and slashes his face in order to protect herself from the assault, she finds herself in a desperate position with no one to turn to. Fortunately, Lily, the benefactress of a shelter for women like Bridget, offers her a solution that will soon change Bridget’s entire life.
“Orphan Train Escape� is not an easy read by any means; you’ll have tears in your eyes at the descriptions of children’s auctions and at the injustice of many policies of that time. But you’ll also feel hope ignite once again when you come across characters who decide to do whatever it takes to change the unfortunates� lives for the better. Thoroughly researched and written with heart and passion, “Orphan Train Escape� will stay with you long after you close the book. Highly recommended!
“Orphan Train Escape� is not an easy read by any means; you’ll have tears in your eyes at the descriptions of children’s auctions and at the injustice of many policies of that time. But you’ll also feel hope ignite once again when you come across characters who decide to do whatever it takes to change the unfortunates� lives for the better. Thoroughly researched and written with heart and passion, “Orphan Train Escape� will stay with you long after you close the book. Highly recommended!
January 30, 2021
The cover and the title of this book are a bit deceptive. It looks like two tiny children escaping. This is not the case. The one escaping was Bridget Collins, taking four of her six siblings with her to a shelter assisted by her Catholic priest, Father Nelson.
The director of "Carmel's Mission", Lily, was a kind woman who took them in, eventually helping Bridget leave New York to marry a man who needed a wife for his farm in Wyoming.
The Outplacement Society would pay her way on the orphan train to her destination if she’d assist with the children which were in director's care. Bridget took her two youngest siblings (probably the ones on the cover) hoping the farmer would take them all in.
Things didn’t exactly turn out as she expected.
Some hardships the characters endured were at times uncomfortable to read, nonetheless realistic.
I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I plan on reading the rest in the series
The director of "Carmel's Mission", Lily, was a kind woman who took them in, eventually helping Bridget leave New York to marry a man who needed a wife for his farm in Wyoming.
The Outplacement Society would pay her way on the orphan train to her destination if she’d assist with the children which were in director's care. Bridget took her two youngest siblings (probably the ones on the cover) hoping the farmer would take them all in.
Things didn’t exactly turn out as she expected.
Some hardships the characters endured were at times uncomfortable to read, nonetheless realistic.
I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I plan on reading the rest in the series
June 25, 2019
Good Read
I was not moved by this book. The author did make me think, and thinking led me to my own historical research about orphan trains. When an author makes a reader think beyond the scope of a book, it is a good thing.
Thank you, Ms. Wesson, for the read.
I was not moved by this book. The author did make me think, and thinking led me to my own historical research about orphan trains. When an author makes a reader think beyond the scope of a book, it is a good thing.
Thank you, Ms. Wesson, for the read.
May 26, 2020
I did enjoy this book: a quick, easy read. The story is engaging; the characters are enjoyable (other than the villain, of course); the history of the Orphan Trains well depicted.
August 15, 2020
I really like the series name; Hearts on the rails. It is a fitting name and a story that is worthy of attention.
It is written with so much care that I could not help but pink away a few tears in the first book. The lives of the Collins family well described that I got lost in the pages.
The author knows the subject well and has addressed the orphan plight exceptionally. The story goes back in time when there were no firm rules about adoption and the neglect and abuse evident in many cases. The hurt and pain it had left caused for heartfelt stories.
Bridget and her four siblings were living in unnatural circumstances but with the help of caring people, they were able to rise from the tenements of New York to a new life.
The vivid storytelling took you from the rat-infested streets to the heart of Wyoming. You experience the pain and heartache with them while you meet wonderful people on the way.
Truly a gripping story of hope, patients and determination that captures the imagination.
It is written with so much care that I could not help but pink away a few tears in the first book. The lives of the Collins family well described that I got lost in the pages.
The author knows the subject well and has addressed the orphan plight exceptionally. The story goes back in time when there were no firm rules about adoption and the neglect and abuse evident in many cases. The hurt and pain it had left caused for heartfelt stories.
Bridget and her four siblings were living in unnatural circumstances but with the help of caring people, they were able to rise from the tenements of New York to a new life.
The vivid storytelling took you from the rat-infested streets to the heart of Wyoming. You experience the pain and heartache with them while you meet wonderful people on the way.
Truly a gripping story of hope, patients and determination that captures the imagination.
November 5, 2019
This self-published disaster is a bad rip off of 'The Orphan Train' by Christina Baker Kline. I'm more than halfway through and struggling to stay with it. So childish and boring. Was this book written for junior high students? It reads like something written by a pre-teen girl. The characters are all either really-really good, or really-really bad. And of course the heroine of the story is extra super-duper good. And beautiful, and smart, and spunky, and hardworking, and brave, and caring, and devoted, and loyal, and virginal, and on, and on, to the point where I've actually groaned a few times while reading. The plot is so lame and the writing is so bad, I don't know how much more I can take. I hate to give up on a book, but finishing this one would take an hour out of my life that I'd never get back. I'm glad I got this one for free and the only thing I've wasted on it is my time. Don't waste yours.
May 17, 2021
This is the first book in the series and was a very emotional read. The author did an excellent job in portraying the trip on the orphan train. It was evident that she had done extensive research on the subject.
The main character, Bridget, was a loving and caring young woman who took her job seriously as a placement officer. Carl, the man she worked with on the train, seemed to care but also seemed to be hiding something.
You will want to keep a lot of tissues handy. Lots of heartwrenching moments, as well as, happy ones. I can't wait to read book 2.
The main character, Bridget, was a loving and caring young woman who took her job seriously as a placement officer. Carl, the man she worked with on the train, seemed to care but also seemed to be hiding something.
You will want to keep a lot of tissues handy. Lots of heartwrenching moments, as well as, happy ones. I can't wait to read book 2.
June 18, 2020
I’ve read books about the orphan trains which are worthy of your time. This just wasn’t one of them! Insipid and boring plus an ill-conceived romance. I don’t give up on books but was glad when I was done with this one. The storyline was ok but was not a well-written one. Characters were either good or bad. Don’t know how it got to be an almost 5 star book.
June 13, 2020
An emotionally charged romantic adventure of the best sort! Rachel, you just tore my heart out and stomped it flat! This very thrilled and satisfied can hardly wait to read the next installment! Two thumbs-up for sure.
January 12, 2020
This grew on me the more I read - the heartbreaking story of orphans or children separated from parents in New York and sent west on the 'orphan train' to find new lives.
August 12, 2020
This was painful to listen too. The dialog was juvenile. The main character was so altruistic that it was fake and unbelievable. Dont waste your time.
Want to read
March 3, 2021Free on Kindle
June 13, 2022
Thought it might be a children’s book, no problem but it is for adults, as well. A historical mystery romance (clean) it’s a fun, informative, and entertaining read with a pleasant narration.
February 20, 2020
I enjoyed the book as it gave me insight into the orphan trains. I was left with several questions at the end of the book and will read the second one in the series.
April 6, 2022
I don’t know if I read this years ago or if I watched a movie w the same plot, but it was wonderful! Such a great sweet read! ❤️
November 3, 2019
This book has an interesting subject matter, but flat characters and predictable plot. The writing style is rather basic and not very well structured. At one point, a 4-year-old was giving insight into 2 adults looking at each other as if they liked each other. Not very believable. It wasn’t bad for a free book, but I doubt I’ll purchase the rest of this series.
March 30, 2020
A great page turner about a family in danger who are helped by their priest. The story focuses on Bridget Collins who has taken charge of her siblings and their predicament. In order to keep Bridget safe her priest sends her and 2 of her siblings on the Orphan Train, with Bridget acting as an outplacement agent. This journey will change all their lives and help Bridget find love and an unexpected calling.
A lovely heart wrenching and heart warming story.
A lovely heart wrenching and heart warming story.
August 3, 2019
Historical Fiction Comes to Life
I had never heard of the orphan trains before reading this book. As a foster parent and adoptive parent I found this book to be an interesting read. While reading this book, I couldn’t help but to make parallels between the orphan trains of the past and the current foster care system in the USA. I experienced firsthand the child welfare system while fostering several young children and adopting two of them. We have certainly come a long way from the orphan train days, but unfortunately the foster care system is still plagued by unscrupulous people who abuse and mistreat children already damaged by trauma inflicted by their birth parents. This book reminded me that there are good people in the world that are trying to do the right thing amidst the evil that exists in society.
I had never heard of the orphan trains before reading this book. As a foster parent and adoptive parent I found this book to be an interesting read. While reading this book, I couldn’t help but to make parallels between the orphan trains of the past and the current foster care system in the USA. I experienced firsthand the child welfare system while fostering several young children and adopting two of them. We have certainly come a long way from the orphan train days, but unfortunately the foster care system is still plagued by unscrupulous people who abuse and mistreat children already damaged by trauma inflicted by their birth parents. This book reminded me that there are good people in the world that are trying to do the right thing amidst the evil that exists in society.
June 13, 2020
The orphan train
I had a hard time reading this book. I liked some of it and the General plot about the orphan train, but so much felt absurd. Like the ages of the siblings, and the ending,especially the ending. It is like the author got tired of writing the book and gave it the happiest ending possible as quickly as possible. Also who would possibly address a letter to Ms. Collins in the 1890's? And what about doing everything possible to keep the family together. And I don’t even know why the author kept mentioning the brothers and yet never including them in the story. It wasn't a very cohesive story.
I had a hard time reading this book. I liked some of it and the General plot about the orphan train, but so much felt absurd. Like the ages of the siblings, and the ending,especially the ending. It is like the author got tired of writing the book and gave it the happiest ending possible as quickly as possible. Also who would possibly address a letter to Ms. Collins in the 1890's? And what about doing everything possible to keep the family together. And I don’t even know why the author kept mentioning the brothers and yet never including them in the story. It wasn't a very cohesive story.
July 22, 2018
Very touching story
I really enjoyed this story of a 19 year old girl along with 2 of her siblings travel on an orphan train from New York City to Wyoming. She is helping an experienced man place the orphans on the train in safe homes along the way and going to be a mail order bride to a man in Wyoming. The experiences along the way reveal the type of families they have to deal with to find loving families for the orphans and how their relationship changes during the journey. I won't tell how the book ends but hope to read more by this author.
I really enjoyed this story of a 19 year old girl along with 2 of her siblings travel on an orphan train from New York City to Wyoming. She is helping an experienced man place the orphans on the train in safe homes along the way and going to be a mail order bride to a man in Wyoming. The experiences along the way reveal the type of families they have to deal with to find loving families for the orphans and how their relationship changes during the journey. I won't tell how the book ends but hope to read more by this author.
January 9, 2019
A story of the Orphan Trains of the West. The good and the bad.
Get prepared to read through and go to the next book, with a box of tissue at your side. The story of a family of Iris immigrants, who through circumstances nd up in the ghettos of New York. A time when women and children had no voice, and we're held responsible for being poor. Mrs. Lily has started a mission for young women to teach them a trade,and this old a a door for Kathleen and her family to become involved with the Orphan Trains. A book you willneverforget.
Get prepared to read through and go to the next book, with a box of tissue at your side. The story of a family of Iris immigrants, who through circumstances nd up in the ghettos of New York. A time when women and children had no voice, and we're held responsible for being poor. Mrs. Lily has started a mission for young women to teach them a trade,and this old a a door for Kathleen and her family to become involved with the Orphan Trains. A book you willneverforget.
June 18, 2020
An easy to read heart-wrenching story. For all the children in the care of Bridget on the train there is a happy ending. But there are enough tales from grown-ups former orphans whose outcomes had not been so happy to balance the sweetness of this particular train.
It is an emotional read. I recommend it.
It is an emotional read. I recommend it.
August 4, 2019
The subject was interesting -- I had no idea about the orphan trains. However, I really struggled with finishing the book because the characters weren't fleshed out. I wasn't moved by the story. I did enjoy the storyline of little Jacob, though.
November 10, 2019
Well done
It is the 1800s & New York City & to some extant other Wast Coast cities, are dealing with much the same issues we live with today - an overwhelming number of immigrants, then from Europe's most imporverished families.
There is a recession on. Businesses & banks are failing. Unemployment is rampant. Many out of work men somehow seem to find the meams to purchase large quantities of liquor even as they not only starve their families by spending money on booze, but they often take out their frustrations on their wives & children. Battered woman are often faced with a heartbreaking choice: let their children be malnourished & beaten to a pulp, or send them to an orphanage in hopes the children will be fed & clothed & hopefully not abused. Many children start to work as young as 5 or 6 years old, & some are hired as runners for gangs - much more perilous then when children were arrested, tried, & even hung like adults, & lived in adult prisons where they learned the fine art of crime, perfecting skills that guaranteed a short & violent life, much of it spent in prison. Women work in laundries, kitchens, textile factories, garment sweatshops, box making factories, their bosses mostly men - men who demand money or favors (or both) from any woman who wants to keep her job, then when the woman ends up pregnant, the rich bosses deny paternity & are believed. Families, ashamed, throw their pregnant daughters out on the street, where they quickly end up as prostitutes, who then leave countless innocent babies in broiling heat, vicious storms, or frigid cold, on steps to churches, orphanages, & foundling homes...startong with the first one & continuing with every pregnancy to another "john." There is no safety net. And some young girls are orphaned in their teens, have nowhere to go & no relatives who will help, &.opted to go west as mail order brides...as did other young women who angered bosses by refusing to grant sexual favors...bosses determoined to have their own way, who try to hunt them down.
The poor live in tenememts the world over, because in every country, there are people who can't make a living in rural settings & flock to the cities, & as the demand for living space increases, so do the prices, & the meanest, nastiest buildings, many condemned as unlivable, are pressed into service with little to no complaint from civil servants who see it as better than a large homeless population. There is no social safety net at this time. The disabled find some way to work or else they beg. Children starve...playing in garbage & even sewage as no matter how many condemned buildings you press into service as living quarters, you must have enough sewers, & since this was in the era of outhouses, there must be some way to take those too full, seal them, & dig a new one, something not usually done back then. Baths require a tub & boiling water to add to the cold, & baths are rare for that reason...& water is reused. & wells for water. It is no wonder epidemics of cholera. & other diseases born in filth killed off large swaths of the population from every class.
In this story, we see the efforts of a group of wealthy people & partnering with both a Catholic & a Protestant church, they house women at risk, & take children in then take them to the midwest on orphan trains. Infants are adopted the fastest & next are the very young, toddlers & preschoolers & children in the first 2 uears of grade sxhool. The older a child gets, the less likely they are to be adopted. Boys in this group were often indentured. They worked in exchange for room, board, schooling, & a small salary that was given to them, along wiith a suit, when they turned 21. They were then sent on their way & another indenture took their place. Thus reduced labor costs. And as bad as it seemed, it was far better than the toxic slums & decaying tenements...mostly. Of course, there were many maltreated, indentures extended, promises of education, shelter, & clothing broken or substandard. This was the first attempt at foster care.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. We face overcrowding & homelessness, too many immigrants of the illegal sort, who work for far less money, drive wages down, drive costs up, & we don't learn that this situation in the mid 1800s to the present day was, until the last 70 years by my guess, done when the country was young, wide open, & in need of laborers & settlers. We no longer have so much room, & whereas the cities didn't have the infrastructure but the rural areas did then, now the country as a whole has a failing infrastructure. Add to that, exploitation of especially women & children has led to human trafficking. Young children sold to pedophiles by the hour, young girls sold as prostitutes, & if the child isn't physically attractive, they're put to work in sweatshop like conditions. The social safety net os strained. It's time to.come up with our own creative solutions for our issues today.
It is the 1800s & New York City & to some extant other Wast Coast cities, are dealing with much the same issues we live with today - an overwhelming number of immigrants, then from Europe's most imporverished families.
There is a recession on. Businesses & banks are failing. Unemployment is rampant. Many out of work men somehow seem to find the meams to purchase large quantities of liquor even as they not only starve their families by spending money on booze, but they often take out their frustrations on their wives & children. Battered woman are often faced with a heartbreaking choice: let their children be malnourished & beaten to a pulp, or send them to an orphanage in hopes the children will be fed & clothed & hopefully not abused. Many children start to work as young as 5 or 6 years old, & some are hired as runners for gangs - much more perilous then when children were arrested, tried, & even hung like adults, & lived in adult prisons where they learned the fine art of crime, perfecting skills that guaranteed a short & violent life, much of it spent in prison. Women work in laundries, kitchens, textile factories, garment sweatshops, box making factories, their bosses mostly men - men who demand money or favors (or both) from any woman who wants to keep her job, then when the woman ends up pregnant, the rich bosses deny paternity & are believed. Families, ashamed, throw their pregnant daughters out on the street, where they quickly end up as prostitutes, who then leave countless innocent babies in broiling heat, vicious storms, or frigid cold, on steps to churches, orphanages, & foundling homes...startong with the first one & continuing with every pregnancy to another "john." There is no safety net. And some young girls are orphaned in their teens, have nowhere to go & no relatives who will help, &.opted to go west as mail order brides...as did other young women who angered bosses by refusing to grant sexual favors...bosses determoined to have their own way, who try to hunt them down.
The poor live in tenememts the world over, because in every country, there are people who can't make a living in rural settings & flock to the cities, & as the demand for living space increases, so do the prices, & the meanest, nastiest buildings, many condemned as unlivable, are pressed into service with little to no complaint from civil servants who see it as better than a large homeless population. There is no social safety net at this time. The disabled find some way to work or else they beg. Children starve...playing in garbage & even sewage as no matter how many condemned buildings you press into service as living quarters, you must have enough sewers, & since this was in the era of outhouses, there must be some way to take those too full, seal them, & dig a new one, something not usually done back then. Baths require a tub & boiling water to add to the cold, & baths are rare for that reason...& water is reused. & wells for water. It is no wonder epidemics of cholera. & other diseases born in filth killed off large swaths of the population from every class.
In this story, we see the efforts of a group of wealthy people & partnering with both a Catholic & a Protestant church, they house women at risk, & take children in then take them to the midwest on orphan trains. Infants are adopted the fastest & next are the very young, toddlers & preschoolers & children in the first 2 uears of grade sxhool. The older a child gets, the less likely they are to be adopted. Boys in this group were often indentured. They worked in exchange for room, board, schooling, & a small salary that was given to them, along wiith a suit, when they turned 21. They were then sent on their way & another indenture took their place. Thus reduced labor costs. And as bad as it seemed, it was far better than the toxic slums & decaying tenements...mostly. Of course, there were many maltreated, indentures extended, promises of education, shelter, & clothing broken or substandard. This was the first attempt at foster care.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. We face overcrowding & homelessness, too many immigrants of the illegal sort, who work for far less money, drive wages down, drive costs up, & we don't learn that this situation in the mid 1800s to the present day was, until the last 70 years by my guess, done when the country was young, wide open, & in need of laborers & settlers. We no longer have so much room, & whereas the cities didn't have the infrastructure but the rural areas did then, now the country as a whole has a failing infrastructure. Add to that, exploitation of especially women & children has led to human trafficking. Young children sold to pedophiles by the hour, young girls sold as prostitutes, & if the child isn't physically attractive, they're put to work in sweatshop like conditions. The social safety net os strained. It's time to.come up with our own creative solutions for our issues today.
January 14, 2021
Orphan Train Disaster: Orphan Train Series: Hearts on the Rails Book 6 is by Rachel Wesson. This continues the story of Lily, Bridget, and Kathleen who have done all they can for the community around Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. Lily set up the Sanctuary for women and children and helped Bridget and her family when they were in need. Bridget went on to become a leader on the orphan train where she met her husband and they set up an orphanage in Riverside Springs to help orphans from New York. Her sister Kathleen married a doctor and they adopted one of the boys from the train. Patrick is grown now and is finishing up his studies to become a doctor. He and his father are helping Frieda who had survived the fire on the General Slocum and was now studying to become a doctor herself. They were all involved with the Sanctuary and the women and children from there. Many of their friends were seamstresses in the Triangle Shirtwaist company where they worked long house for very little money. Their lives become even more entwined when the Triangle Company burns down with hundreds of young women and men locked inside the building where there was no sprinkling system and even the fire escapes were not functional. Pure chaos reigns as the young women and men try frantically to find a way out of the building, some resorting to jumping out of the windows. The owners had all the doors locked to prevent the young women from stealing cloth from the sewing rooms. Many of the victims had to be identified by other means than by looking at them as they were burned beyond recognition. Some were identified by rings or watches, etc. and many were unidentified.
What would be the result of the trial that was to come? Who would be blamed? Who would be compensated for their loss?
What would be the result of the trial that was to come? Who would be blamed? Who would be compensated for their loss?
May 6, 2021
Brief synopsis from the book cover:
Bridget Collins is in dire straits - she needs to get out of New York, fast. With two young siblings under her wing, her options are limited.
Her priest sends her as an outplacement agent on the orphan trains that run from New York to out west.
With almost forty orphans under her care, she's relieved fellow and more experienced outplacement agent Carl Watson, is there to guide her. But Carl is dealing with his own trauma and finds it difficult to handle the pain the orphans are dealing with.
Through tears and laughter, everyone on the orphan train has a lesson to teach about love, life and loyalty. And Bridget finds a new, unexpected calling. Every child deserves a happy home and Bridget is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that happens. No matter what the cost�
My rating:
Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Writing: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
Recommended for readers of:
Historical Fiction
General Fiction
Review:
The historical subject of the book The Orphan Trains that left New York in the late eighteenth hundreds for the west was what attracted me to the book. The plot started off well enough and the story flowed well. The characters are interesting and show human traits such as despair, hope and determination. For the first part of the book the story held together well and felt realistic however the end of the story felt rushed and the actions of the characters felt out of character with the rest of the book. The historical insight into the orphan trains is what makes the book interesting.
Overall:
An interesting story that gives an insight into the historical Orphan Trains that left New York towards the end of the 19th century, with interesting characters and a hint of romance.
Bridget Collins is in dire straits - she needs to get out of New York, fast. With two young siblings under her wing, her options are limited.
Her priest sends her as an outplacement agent on the orphan trains that run from New York to out west.
With almost forty orphans under her care, she's relieved fellow and more experienced outplacement agent Carl Watson, is there to guide her. But Carl is dealing with his own trauma and finds it difficult to handle the pain the orphans are dealing with.
Through tears and laughter, everyone on the orphan train has a lesson to teach about love, life and loyalty. And Bridget finds a new, unexpected calling. Every child deserves a happy home and Bridget is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that happens. No matter what the cost�
My rating:
Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Writing: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
Recommended for readers of:
Historical Fiction
General Fiction
Review:
The historical subject of the book The Orphan Trains that left New York in the late eighteenth hundreds for the west was what attracted me to the book. The plot started off well enough and the story flowed well. The characters are interesting and show human traits such as despair, hope and determination. For the first part of the book the story held together well and felt realistic however the end of the story felt rushed and the actions of the characters felt out of character with the rest of the book. The historical insight into the orphan trains is what makes the book interesting.
Overall:
An interesting story that gives an insight into the historical Orphan Trains that left New York towards the end of the 19th century, with interesting characters and a hint of romance.
September 18, 2021
The Orphan Train Escape
1893 Carmel’s Mission, A Sanctuary for the destitute. A young family of Irish Immigrants suffer the loss of their parents soon after they arrive in the States leaving 7 children to fend for themselves. Due to their sever poverty many folks being of means, don’t hesitate to abuse the children. A group of children from this family ended up running away to a sanctuary for safety reasons. The two eldest girls were told they would be better to get out of New York and go West as mail order brides to Wyoming. The younger children would then be adopted. It was then decided that Bridget would help supervise a train load of orphans out west for adoption. Bridget was aghast that the children going on the Orphan train would be requested and discussed like a shopping catalogue by the folks who might adopt them. It was a heartbreaking situation to be responsible for 38 children and have to ensure they were adopted out throughout the trip West. Many of the children already had serious mental and physical scars from their lives in the tenement homes in New York.
This author provides excellent information about the Orphan Trains, the transportation of children as indentured servants, and sometimes for adoption. Life was hard in those days for impoverished families. The conclusion of this book pulls at your heart, but is also uplifting. A very real story, and wonderful read. A 5 star book. I look forward to the upcoming books.
1893 Carmel’s Mission, A Sanctuary for the destitute. A young family of Irish Immigrants suffer the loss of their parents soon after they arrive in the States leaving 7 children to fend for themselves. Due to their sever poverty many folks being of means, don’t hesitate to abuse the children. A group of children from this family ended up running away to a sanctuary for safety reasons. The two eldest girls were told they would be better to get out of New York and go West as mail order brides to Wyoming. The younger children would then be adopted. It was then decided that Bridget would help supervise a train load of orphans out west for adoption. Bridget was aghast that the children going on the Orphan train would be requested and discussed like a shopping catalogue by the folks who might adopt them. It was a heartbreaking situation to be responsible for 38 children and have to ensure they were adopted out throughout the trip West. Many of the children already had serious mental and physical scars from their lives in the tenement homes in New York.
This author provides excellent information about the Orphan Trains, the transportation of children as indentured servants, and sometimes for adoption. Life was hard in those days for impoverished families. The conclusion of this book pulls at your heart, but is also uplifting. A very real story, and wonderful read. A 5 star book. I look forward to the upcoming books.
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