When I first saw Rodzina I almost didn’t read it because I did not like the cover, but you should never judge a book by its cover so I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed. This book is very enjoyable. Unlike some books, it just took off, literally, on an orphan train, and I was hooked. The cover is a little misleading, it shows Rodzina as big tough girl, which she is but, she is also vulnerable, caring, and nervous about finding a family. Lacey, on the cover she looks like a miserable little girl where as in the book she may come across as a little bit shy, but she is actually quite brave and very bright. This story is about a 12 year old orphan girl named Rodzina. Rodzina was not always an orphan, she had a mama, a papa, and two younger brothers who she spent most of her time taking care of. Unfortunately, her dad had an accident at work and was killed, her mom got sick and passed away, and her two brothers died in a fire at her aunts house. Now Rodzina is an orphan. The story begins with her boarding the orphan train. From the moment Rodzina climbs on board the train, she was convinced that she was being shipped off to the west to be a slave. Rodzina does not trust Miss Doctor who is one of their chaperones on the train. Rodzina thinks, “She was probably in cahoots with all those folks out there who took orphans to be slaves and beat them and starved them because no one cared whether they lived or died” (Cushman 35). On the train, Miss Doctor put Rodzina in charge of the children and Rodzina was very good at taking care of them. She cleaned them up, comforted them when they were sad, and told them stories. Lacey, one of the orphans that Rodzina is in charge of, tells her, “I feel safer when you’re here. You’re so big and sturdy, like a beautiful tree I can lean on and not knock over” (Cushman 36). The first stop on the orphan train was at Grand Island where the orphans would be looked at by potential families. Some got to go home with a family but those who did not reboarded the train and continued the journey to the next stop. Along the way Rodzina is adopted by a couple of older women who only want her for strenuous labor. They ask, ”Can she lift a hundred-pound sack of flour?....And scrub wood floors?.....Is she sturdy enough of stomach to tend the chamber pots? And wash old feet?” (Cushman 61). She is also taken home by a man who wants her to replace his dying wife. In both situations she figures out a clever way to get herself out of it and she rejoins the group of orphans. Miss Doctor promises Rodzina that the man won’t get his hands on another orphan and Rodzina begins to trust her. “I nodded at her to let her know that she was forgiven and that I trusted her to keep her promise” (Cushman 118). By the end of the book Rodzina begins to realize that most of the orphans did find good homes with people that wanted them to be part of their family, rather than just a slave. Rodzina does find a family in the end, and it is quite a surprise who she ends up with.I was really surprised to find that this book has excellent information on historical events in the late 1800s. I learned much about this time frame from reading this book, and it helped me to have a better understanding of what it was like not just to live in the late 1800s, but also to experience living then as an orphan. One thing I learned in addition to learning about orphan trains, is that it was hard for women doctors to find patients at this time in history, because people did not trust their knowledge or ability to be a good doctor. The doctor in this book is traveling west with the orphan train to California, because it was hard for her to find patients in Chicago which meant that she didn’t have a job. California was in great need of doctors, and she was hoping the people would be more open to a woman doctor. When Rodzina asks why Miss Doctor is leaving Chicago, she tells her that she is a fine doctor but that, “...people in Chicago don’t seem to take to a lady doctor, and I can’t eat plans and dreams...I hoped it would be different in a new state like California” (Cushman 136).Over all I had a great time reading this book and would recommend it to anyone over the age of 9 who enjoys a good book with a nicely formed plot, well developed characters, historical content, and a happy ending.
1. Personal reaction – I really enjoyed this book! Rodzina was a very lovable character. I had a difficult time putting the book down. I definitely got attached to Rodzina as a character. As much as she resisted, she could not help but be kind and loving to the younger orphans. She found positive attributes of people that had hard exteriors. 2. Purpose(s)/Use in the classroom•tI would use this book during a social studies unit on the United States in the mid to late 1880s. The aspect of Rodzina on the train from Chicago California would be a great transition geographically.•tindependent reading: This book is appropriate for grades 5-6. It is lengthy and the concepts are more appropriate for middle grades. It can get rather dark at times with challenging concepts of loss, isolation, and even sexuality.•tnarrative: I would elaborate on setting due to the fact it changes nearly every chapter. It would be great for a geography lesson because it covers nearly half of the United States, plus has mention of Poland (where Rodzina is from).3. The language of this story is very rich. Rodzina's description of passengers of the train and other orphans is full and very descriptive. It would be an excellent example when talking about higher-level descriptions.
What do You think about Rodzina (2005)?
The book Rodzina tells the coming-of-age story of a strong female character and her resilience to never give up her search for a family. The story shows Rodzina’s strong will, hope, and personal integrity. Rodzina gave fate a fighting chance. Rodzina is an excellent historical fiction book for upper elementary students. It tells a good story and gives the image of the hardship, loneliness, fear, and struggles of these orphaned children. The author’s note provides additional information on the origin of orphanages, orphan trains, and a bibliography of selected resources for students to read or view. The author included Polish culture and customs throughout the story. A glossary of Polish words and pronunciations is also provided.
—Marcia
Rodzina is a 12 year old Polish orphan from Chicago. She is going west on the orphan train, only she wants to stay in Chicago and cannot imagine her life elsewhere. Along the journey, Rodzina is corraled into caring for the younger children. Her gift of storytelling enables her to distract the children and keep calm. Rodzina finds herself struggling to conform to the rules of Miss Doctor and Mister Szprout. Miss Doctor is a doctor who is heading west to find a job in her chosen vocation. She fin
—Stacy Ford
“That’s pronounced Rodzina,” I interrupted, making that sound between a D and a G and a Z that it seemed only Polish mouths could make, sort of like the G-sound in bridge or cage or huge, but not quite. The lady doctor sounded like a bumblebee with her Rod-zzzzzz-ina."Rodzina is the name of a Polish girl who lived in Chicago after her family had left Poland. Sadly, her two brothers died in a fire, her dad died because a crazy horse hit him in the head, and her mom was weak and sick so she died. All of a sudden, Rodzina became an orphan and traveled with the rest of the orphans, via train, to the scary west so some nice family would adopt them. Rodzina has all kinds of negative thoughts throughout the journey of her becoming someone's slave, maid, get beaten...etc. A little girl called Lacey gets attached to Rodzina, and eventually Rodzina gets attached to her. In my opinion, Rodzina is a stubborn, caring, intelligent and strong girl. I think this book is amazing for people who like sad, touching books with happy endings. This book certainly touched my heart and got me thinking about the sadness and loneliness of Rodzina...etc. This book has a certain ending and that is what makes it one of my favorite books.If you like open-ended books this might not be the book for you. At the same time, this book has a little bit of open-endness to it that you might like (you will understand what I mean when you read the book).
—Judy Khalifa
