Justin BrandonGoodreads Book ReviewB-210/6/15tThe book I read this quarter was called “A Family Apart” by Joan Lowery Nixon. This is a nonfiction book about a family who lives on the Orphan Train for most of their childhood life in 1856.tIn the book “A Family Apart” the author's purpose is to show how the lives of many children were back in the 1830’s to 1901, and to show how the orphan train worked. In the beginning of the book the children are placed on the Orphan train, and none of the children understand why except Frances, who was the older daughter. While Mrs.Kelly dropped off her kids on the orphan train she says, “Sometimes we must do what needs to be done, and that's the all of it.” Most families back in the 1830’s struggled to make a living, and this mom had six kids with no husband or job. I believe the kids towards the end of the story had it better off than they would of if the mom would have kept them. The Orphan Train was a very boring ride. All you ever got to do was work, and sit until they arrived at their next stop to try and get adopted. Most people who were adopted had to work on the farm, and never really have a family that cared for them. That was the case for Frances and some of her siblings. “We were never slaves, but I know how it is to be treated as if you had no feelings.” is a quote Frances told her little brother while working on a family's farm.tThe theme in “A Family Apart” is trying to tell us the Orphan Train had its weaknesses, and its strong moments. One of the weakness of the Orphan Tplrain was that siblings were split apart. It depended on if the person who was adopting your sibling wanted to take your sibling too, or not. “Families should not be torn apart!” Frances said while her little brother was being adopted the next day. When this happened Frances disguised himself as a boy to live with her little brother, but he left his other four siblings behind. This is the kind of stuff that children would do just to be with their siblings. One of the pros of the Orphan Train is a member from the Children's Aid Society would check up on the children twice a year that were adopted. This helped protect the children as much as they could. They made sure they were being fed, bathed, and they were healthy. The family the 6 siblings were placed with treated them very poorly. They were put back on the train when the Children's Aid Society came and checked up on them. tThe style of the book was a description. It described everything about the orphan train and its purpose. It described each person in the family, and what they went through. It was set around the 1830’s and the train departed from New Orleans. tMy overall view of the book is very good. I would give it a 5 out of 5. I loved this book.
I think I read this book for the first time in 6th grade. I'm feeling a bit nostalgic lately so I've been rereading books from my childhood. I remembered that while I liked the Orphan Train series, It always bugged me that at some point (I don't remember which book) the children were allowed to go back and live with their mother and most of the 6 children declined. Having reread it, it still bugs, but I can see why the children chose to live apart through the characterization of Frances Mary in this first installment. Good reason or not, their mother abandoned them. There has to be ramifications stemming from that. Anyway, this books sets the stage for the rest of the series as the children are sent out west on the Orphan Train. History wise, at times it appears as if the author read a few textbooks and went from there trying to explain historical events like the Missouri Compromise or the Fugitive Slave Act through wooden and clunky dialogue. The climax in which Frances Mary, who disguises herself as a boy in order to be adopted with her youngest brother is cliche and predicable. She joins her new family in helping slaves on the Underground Railroad and is nearly arrested for her part. However, once everyone realizes she's a girl all is forgiven and the charges are dropped. I can't decide if that's historically accurate or merely the stereotype of the period. The Underground Railroad part is strange as well. It is interesting to read about Frances Mary's new relatives leaving their privileged homes in New England to move to Kansas in order make it a free (non slave) state. However, Frances Mary too easily accepts (and her adoptive parents too easily tell) their views on slavery and the like. Would a very poor, uneducated, Irish girl from New York City really know as much about slaves and slavery as Frances Mary does? Yet, A Family Apart is a young adult book that tries to educate this historical time period for young readers. In the sense the book works. It is a quick read that will have you reaching for the next book in the series not long after you turn the last page.
What do You think about A Family Apart (1995)?
I think I would have liked this more if I were 10 years old. It seemed more like an attempt to describe what life was like back then, hitting on various aspects briefly and shallowly (poor Irish family in New York City, Orphan Train, outlaws, bounty hunters chasing escaped slaves) than a real story about real-seeming people. A lot of issues and situations were brought up that would probably provide good discussion topics, but I never really felt like the author brought them to life. I would rather she have focused on one or two and delved into them a bit deeper and given the reader some real insight into that aspect of our country's history. Given the topics, though (adoption, poverty, slavery, etc.), maybe that wouldn't be appropriate for children of the target age?
—Tish
I read this when i was 11-12 years old and lent it to a classmate in the 8th grade but it was never returned. Unfortunately the only thing I remembered about this book was the picture on the cover and the important lessons it taught. It was only recently when I searched the library for 'Orphan Train' that this book appeared in the results and sparked my memory. I plan to read the series again to sharpen my memory of those important life lessons and I'm sure I will love the book and series just as much as I enjoyed it as a pre-teen.
—Melinda
so far this book is pretty good. I am not very far so i have not read alot, but right now i am right after the main character is kind-of giving a back-story on what it was like when her father (da) died. the main character is a girl who is the eldest of the many children in her family. she has a job with her mom and I think that I like her. i think that ( or i am afraid that) the mom will die and then the orphan part will make sense. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes kind-of old books, and to who likes adventure in a non-complicated way.
—Annie (Claire McCaslin) mccaslin
