Meet the Author

            Whether you enjoyed reading Orphan Train or not, meeting Christina Baker Kline was a great experience. As the students filled the theatre, excitement filled the air. We couldn’t wait to meet an award-winning author. Once Christina Baker Kline walked onto to stage, the convocation began. She started her presentation with her background, including her family, how long she’s been writing, and her inspiration behind the novel.  Obviously, the main topic she delved into was her muse for Orphan Train, which was her husband’s grandfather. In order to explain her muse behind the novel, she created a PowerPoint presentation. Here, she showed how she found out about her in-laws family history. Her husband’s grandfather rode an orphan train to the west. He was dropped off in a small town and was expected to start his life from nothing. Eventually, he was successful in starting his life and raising a family. This is the story behind the early roots of her husband’s family in America.

Along with personal family records, Christina used photographs of actual orphan trains, the Children’s Aid Society archived records, and interviews with actual train riders to accurately describe how orphans were treated during that time period. Specifically, she mentioned that Irish orphans with red hair were the least desired. Because of this strong anti-Irish sentiment, Christina Baker Kline used a redheaded Irish orphan as her main character. In a way, it showed how flawed the orphan trains were. If a family got an Irish orphan, he/she was usually treated the worst. By showing this side of the orphan trains, Christina Baker Kline led us to assume that other orphans were usually treated better.

Freshen convocation was a unique experience. I believe that all of us learned a good piece of insight towards the author and the novel. After the convocation was over,Orphan Train made a little more sense, both in theme and plotline. I understood why Baker Kline wrote the novel, and why the novel developed (in a depressing way) as it progressed towards the end. I am thankful for Professor Leonard and her associates for putting this convocation together