An old man visits a closed and decaying building which he remembers entering some sixty years earlier as a small, frightened nine-year-old. He then mines those distantmemories for this stark recounting of growing up in a large, military orphanage. He tells of newkie lessons perhaps too well-learned and a kiddie dormitory perhaps too well-ordered; of violent daytime battles and innocent nighttime rendezvous; of a happy-go-lucky garbage man and a not so lucky marksman; of unconsummated first love and an unexpected last message. These memories, and many more, are flanked by two sad goodbyes, one wistful and one anguished, but each demarcating a decisive fork in life's road. Finally, in a dramatic epilogue, former classmates return for the annual orphan's reunion and gather in an off-campus bar to revel and reminisce.
A funny and tender picture book about waiting for a new brother or sister to arrive. There's a house inside my mummy, Where my little brother grows, Or maybe it's my little sister No one really knows. Waiting for a new brother or sister to arrive can be a confusing and worrying time for young children. Sharing this simple rhyming story together is the perfect way to reassure your little one and involve them in all the excitement. Told with humour and warmth by Giles Andreae, the author of much-loved family favourite Giraffes Can't Dance. 'A great book for sharing with your first born while your second is still in the 'tummy house'' - The Times A note from the author: 'When my wife became pregnant for the second time, I was talking to Flinn, our 2-year old son, about what was going to take place and how exciting it would be for him to have a brother or sister. I started to think about it as though I were a young child myself ... 'There's a house inside my mummy' was a phrase that just popped into my head, and from then on the book was a joy to write.'
This young readers’ edition of Christina Baker Kline’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel Orphan Train follows a twelve-year-old foster girl who forms an unlikely bond with a ninety-one-year-old woman. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, Orphan Train Girl includes an author’s note and archival photos from the orphan train era. This book is especially perfect for mother/daughter reading groups. Molly Ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years old. Most of the time, Molly knows it’s her attitude that’s the problem, but after being shipped from one family to another, she’s had her fair share of adults treating her like an inconvenience. So when Molly’s forced to help an a wealthy elderly woman clean out her attic for community service, Molly is wary. But from the moment they meet, Molly realizes that Vivian isn’t like any of the adults she’s encountered before. Vivian asks Molly questions about her life and actually listens to the answers. Soon Molly sees they have more in common than she thought. Vivian was once an orphan, too—an Irish immigrant to New York City who was put on a so-called "orphan train" to the Midwest with hundreds of other children—and she can understand, better than anyone else, the emotional binds that have been making Molly’s life so hard. Together, they not only clear boxes of past mementos from Vivian’s attic, but forge a path of friendship, forgiveness, and new beginnings.
THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT—Over two million copies sold! A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller “Poignant, engrossing.”—People • “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.”—Paula McLain Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Publishers Weekly’s #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 • Winner of the Southern Book Prize • If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection This edition includes a new essay by the author about shantyboat life.
"This man is confused. Home is on the other side of the world, back in Boston. How could this be home? He was just going to Dakota and back. Tom said it on the train. The Sister promised he wasn't going to stay here forever--just help with the farm work. But they lied. Tom and he had the same tags on their jackets, and Tom was gone. In 1877 John was born to Irish immigrants in South Boston. He has an older brother and younger sister. But after his mother's death, when John was age four, he spent several years in the Home for Catholic Destitute Children. Now he is to work as indentured servant until adulthood." --P. [4] of cover.
A story with a difference, this poignant autobiography is filled with real life drama. Embark on a nostalgic journey through the harsh Depression era and on through the hardships of the War years to the present day. Observe the vast changes that have brought us from the rigid and moralistic society of yesterday to the vastly different liberal mindset of today. The universal thread that runs throughout lends an air of familiarity. It is difficult not to identify with one of the characters-perhaps with the young girl herself in her struggles to persevere, or with the woman she ultimately becomes. Here is a story of contrasts from the depths of despair to the pinnacle of joy-a story that defies the odds. Here is a rendering that tugs at the heartstrings. Poignant, yet redeeming, this uplifting account will serve as an inspiration to all who struggle similarly-as well as to those who love them.
