Vivian was placed on an orphan train as a child after her family died in a fire. She experienced hardship being passed between uncaring families who mistreated her. As an adult, Vivian found some happiness when she was reunited with a friend from the orphan train and started a family, but was left widowed when her husband died in war. Vivian tells her story to Molly, a teenage foster child helping Vivian clean her attic, and they realize the similarities in their difficult pasts. Molly helps Vivian find more happiness by reconnecting her with the daughter she had given up long ago.

1. ORPHAN TRAIN SUMMARY
Written by: Christina Baker Kline
Slideshow by: Hayley King

2. MOLLY’S BACKGROUND
Molly Ayer, a 17 year old girl who knows what
it’s like to feel unwanted, is months away from
aging out of the foster care system. She is
currently living with a mother who is unkind, and
a father that tries not to seem fond of Molly, in
fear of making his wife angry. She comes
across as a tough girl, but at heart she just
wants someone that can understand what she
is going through.

3. MEETING VIVIAN
Molly’s boyfriend lands her a chance to
earn her community service hours by
cleaning out an old lady’s attic. When
she meets Vivian for the first time, she
thought she was just a normal person. It
turns out, her past was something that
can easily relate to Molly’s and she
learns this through the hours she
spends cleaning. She hears about
Vivian’s journey on the orphan train and
begins to realize just how similar their
stories are.

4. VIVIAN’S BACKGROUND
Vivian’s life began when she was placed on an orphan train
because her family died in a fire. She was given little food, and a
baby to take care of on the train. She met a friend named Dutchy,
who got chosen by a family but they both swore they would try to
find each other again. Vivian waited patiently for a family to
choose her, but she had to continue the journey until the next
session, where she was finally chosen by a couple, the Byrnes.

5. VIVIAN’S FAMILIES
Vivian’s life at the Byrnes was anything
but good. They treated her awful and she
was forced to sew almost all day,
everyday. Before long, they gave her up
and she was driven off to a new family out
on a farm. This family had many children,
and the parents hardly payed attention to
them. The father sure did pay attention to
Vivian though, whenever he tried to rape
her. She then took matters into her own
hands and ran away.

6. FINAL HOME= HAPPINESS
Vivian ran to the one person she could count
on, her schoolteacher. Her schoolteacher
helped her find a home with a family that finally
treated her right. They let her live her life freely
and also gave her a job at working in their small
store. She was out at a club one night, when
she saw someone that looked familiar. Who
could it be? It was her friend Dutchy that she
had met on the train, 10 years ago.

7. LIFE WITH DUTCHY
Finding Dutchy gave Vivian hope.
She was finally content with her life
after all of the heartbreak she had
been through. Her and Dutchy
eventually got married, but soon
after, he was called into war. Vivian
was pregnant with his child, when
she received the news that her
beloved Dutchy had passed away at
war. She had the baby, but the
thought of keeping it was too much to
bear, so she gave it away.

8. BACK TO REALITY
Meanwhile, as Vivian finishes telling her story of
her days on the orphan train and numerous
families, Molly gives up living with her current foster
parents. She runs to Vivian’s house in the middle of
the night and they bond over their lives. Molly
decides to help Vivian achieve a final happiness by
searching on the web for Vivian’s daughter she
gave up. She successfully finds her and invites her
down for a visit. When they arrive, Vivian realizes
that life is precious and she finally feels what it is
like to be loved.