Description
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.xa0xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 Joan Fraiser, NOTC Board of Directorsxa0xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0(National Orphan Train Complex)xa0Mileta, 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."xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0xa0 Keren Freeman, NOTC Volunteer xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 xa0 (National Orphan Train Complex) In the mid-1850s, there were over 30k children living on the streets of New York City. Children as young as four and five who had to lie, cheat, and steal just to survive. Some of the children were true orphans, others were not. Either way, their situation was dire and something had to be done. So, between 1854 and 1929, over 250k children from New York and Boston were sent west on what was later referred to as 'the orphan trains' to find new homes. Children most people haven't heard about.My goal with this eighteen book saga is to keep those children's memories alive. While the children in my books are fictional, I use history to tell their tales. I introduce seventeen of the eighteen children in Discovery, book one of The Orphan Train Saga.Discovery tells Mileta's story and each book after that will tell one of the children's tale. The reader will follow each child from their earliest memory and find out what caused them to be without a home. The reader will journey with the children on the train and follow as they grow.When I began writing this historical fiction saga I thought I was writing towards adults. While each book starts with the person's first memory, the children grow up, and there are real-life situations. With that said, the books are void of swearwords and there is no overly graphic content.Since Discovery's release in December of 2018, I've received e-mails from children as young as nine, letting me know how much they are enjoying this saga, and the history that surrounds it. So, now when I'm asked I just say it's for ages 9 to 99+.Lastly, while Discovery can be read and enjoyed on its own, if you decide to keep reading -which I hope you do- you'll want to read the books in order. Some of the children's lives are so intertwined that a subsequent book will give you a greater understanding of something from a previous book when told from a different perspective. Born in Kentucky, sherry and her husband of forty yearsxa0now call Michigan home. Sherry got her start in writing by pledging to write a happy ending for a friend. Sherry started writing and the voices took over. A good thing, as Sherry's been writing ever since. Sherry spends her time writing from her home office, traveling to books signings and giving lectures on the history of the Orphan Trains. Sherry is currently working on the next book in her planned eighteen book Orphan Train Saga. Read more
Features & Highlights
- 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 shed. 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.
