Orphan Train West collection

Description

In spring 1890, three eight-year-old girls leave overcrowded, bleak Greystone Orphanage near Boston and set out together on the “Orphan Train”, heading West to adoptive homes. Along the way shy Laurel, vivacious Toddy and scholarly Kit make a vow to be “forever friends”.

Homeward the Seeking Heart:

This is Toddy’s story–the precious gift of hope. Left at Greystone by her actress mother, exuberant Toddy joins the household of a wealthy, reserved widow who seeks a companion for her invalid granddaughter, Helene. Toddy brightens their lives with her optimism. Yet the vindictive words of a servant echo in her mind…will Toddy ever find a place where she truly belongs?

Quest for Lasting Love:

This is Laurel’s story–the healing power of love. Dainty, beautiful Laurel is placed at Greystone when her loving, gravely ill mother enters a sanitarium. Laurel is adopted from the Orphan Train by Dr. and Mrs. Woodward, who still grieve for their daughter they lost only two years before. She brings a breath of fresh air–and much love–into the Woodward’s troubled marriage. As she enters her adult years, however, bittersweet memories compel Laurel to find her true identity. Her search leads her to Boston, where she solves the mystery of her past. A new dilemma arises when Laurel must choose between a struggling, talented young musician and her longtime sweetheart.

Dreams of a Longing Heart:

This is Kit’s story–the sustaining power of faith. After her grieving widowed father leaves Kit, her younger brother, and her baby sister at Greystone, she tries futilely to keep the family together. Yet the younger children are “placed out” and Kit is sent West on the Orphan train. She is chosen by the Hansens, a farm family who want to adopt a girl to assist the work-worn mother of five boys. Kit rises above her dreary situation by excelling in her studies. Will she ever realize her secret longings to love and be loved?