Irish Soda Bread and Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Recipe: Irish Soda Bread
There were many choices to choose from when deciding on a recipe. The family immigrated to the United States from Ireland (hence, Irish soda bread), moving to NYC. Some of the story later takes place in Minnesota (although I did not choose this setting, I did find some great recipes). The present-day time in the book takes place in Maine. I have made Irish soda bread before so decided to make this bread so my 9 year old could help. If you have a child who loves to cook, this is a great recipe for them – four ingredients and no yeast!
The book…
Normally, this time of year I would have been in school for a month; however, I just finished my first week with all my students together (we did a “soft start” for a week). Although I have not had much time to read (thankful for that aspect because it means I am back doing what I love), I have been able to read some.
Two weeks ago, I bought this book not knowing anything about the story or the author. Sometimes, I like just randomly buying books. Sometimes, I hit a jackpot like I did this time. If you have read my blogs before, you know I love historical fiction. Little did I know, until the very end, that this is historical fiction. I absolutely loved this book, probably more so because I learned so much about a time period in history I have never heard about before. However, the story is so sweet and redemptive. I love that some writers can tell a story that has such a happy ending. It also reminds me that one person can have a tremendous impact on a child’s life – a child that the “system” would characterize as being totally lost…a child whose has a tremendous gift that can be overlooked because he/she has deeper struggles that only a few can relate to.
I will not delve too much into the book but will give you a little history about the premise of the book. Between 1854 and 1929, around 250,000 orphans were shipped from the East coast to the Midwest (apparently there was no social network/system to help, with thousands living on the streets). This replacement was not necessarily families seeking to adopt children into their loving family but looking for labor for whatever business they had (farming being one). Basically these orphans would become, in many but not all cases, indentured servants. Some were beaten and abused. Some found loving families. For years, their stories were lost but now a network has been created to help people connect to their past. This is the basis of the story in the book.
Below, I have listed some resources you may find interesting. If you want a quick, easy, great, informative read, this is the book for you!
Orphan Train Movement Resources:
History Channel – article on the history of the movement
National Orphan Train Complex – personal accounts of orphan train riders (navigate this website…a great resource)
Documentary with map of train stops
