Molly Ayer is seventeen, a foster
child living in Maine nearing the end of her time in the system. She has to fulfill a community service
requirement to avoid being sent to juvie for stealing a library book. Molly’s boyfriend helps introduce Molly to
Vivian, a ninety-one year old widow needing help to organize and sort the
numerous items in her attic. While
working together on the project of sorting decades of memories Molly and Vivian
realize that they have a lot in common. Vivian
is also an orphan. She was sent on an
orphan train out of New York City in the late 1920s into the Midwest where
strangers chose a child to bring home to adopt, or to use a free labor. As the two go through each box more of
Vivian’s past is revealed and Molly becomes determined to help her new friend
discover some of the secrets of her past.
The dual stories make the story come
alive, more so than if it was a linear retelling of Vivian’s experiences. By comparing the brutal hardships of Vivian’s
young life and the current uncertainty of Molly’s the reader hopes that just
Vivian’s life gets better there is also hope for Molly’s life getting better as
well. A quick engaging read – I read
most of the book while waiting for an extremely delayed flight and if you can
focus on a book while sitting in a busy noisy airport you know it must be a
compelling read.
