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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
Mild; some historical hardship and threat without graphic violence
Language
Barely any
Mild language; clean throughout
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal; a brief romantic attachment
Substance Use
Barely any
Minimal; some period drinking in adult contexts
Emotional Intensity
Some
Some psychological weight around abandonment, grief, and the search for belonging; handled with warmth
What this book is about
Alternating between present-day Maine and the American Midwest of the 1920s-40s, Christina Baker Kline's novel follows Molly, a foster teenager, and Vivian, an elderly woman who was one of the hundreds of thousands of orphaned children transported by train to new homes across America. A quiet and moving dual narrative about loss, survival, identity, and found family.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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