Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train
We recently sat down with New York Times bestselling author, Christina Baker Kline. Her novel Orphan Train is about a young Irish immigrant who, as a child, is sent away from New York on a train that regularly transported unwanted and abandoned children from the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest. Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful tale of upheaval and resilience. The novel (which is the author’s fifth work of fiction) was selected as a Target book club pick, has held steady on 5 national bestseller lists, and has just gone to print for the fifth time!
BIC: Any idea about how many literary events you’ve done over the years?
CBK: Literally hundreds! ORPHAN TRAIN is my fifth novel and tenth book. I’ve been talking about writing – my own and other people’s – at conferences, bookstores, libraries, historical societies, town halls, and at colleges and universities for years. And I’ve been on the road with ORPHAN TRAIN since its publication in April (2013).
BIC: What do you like about the Campus/Freshman Class and Community Reads structure as a literary event format? Any thoughts on how they could be more effective?
CBK: As an author I love interacting with people who have already read my book. I particularly like visiting classrooms where students are encouraged to explore questions about theme, identity, and research. Currently I’m working on a “Reading Group” tab for my website that will include – among other things – the top ten questions that reading groups ask me, along with my (detailed) answers. I think this will be a useful resource for book clubs, high school and college students, and Community Reads participants.
BIC: Your newest novel, Orphan Train, is based on historical events. How does your literary event presentation incorporate facts/images from this time period?
CBK: I’ve created a PowerPoint slideshow with archival photographs, posters, maps, and other materials that provide context and visual interest as I narrate the story of my connection to the orphan trains. It’s an exciting way to see history come alive, and I find it’s very well received.
BIC: What are some of the “teachable” moments in your book that make it work well for a Community/Campus Reads program?
CBK: There are many – but here are perhaps the most important ones: The book addresses questions of race, class, and cultural identity, and the long-term effects of childhood trauma. A 91-year-old wealthy Irish-American woman and a troubled 17-year-old half-Penobscot Indian girl become friends, and in doing so must give up their preconceived notions about each other. There’s a true historical story that few people know about, combined with a parallel narrative about a girl in the current-day foster care system.
BIC: Would you share some notable experiences you’ve had at the events that you’ve participated in?
CBK: This book has so many constituencies: general readers, book clubs, historians, genealogists, social workers, Irish Catholics, people who love Maine and/or Minnesota, New Yorkers, adoptive parents and adopted/foster kids, high school kids, teachers, librarians … I’ve found that audiences at ORPHAN TRAIN events are larger and more enthusiastic than I’ve ever had before, and I think the historical aspect of it has a lot to do with it. People are very interested in both American history and family history.
It’s a thrill for audience members — and me — to meet people who are personally connected to the trains. I’ve been lucky to have train riders’ descendants in the audience as well as people whose families took in train riders. I was privileged to meet with sixty social workers from Newark, NJ, who opened my eyes even further about parallels between the orphan trains and the present-day foster-care system. And it was a delight when, at one event, an audience member questioned whether Vivian would get a laptop at the age of 91, and two women in the audience — ages 92 and 94 — stood up to say that they’ve been chatting with great-grandchildren on Facebook and Googling recipes. One even said she has a Twitter account!
BIC: Anything else you’d like to add?
CBK: It’s been a delight to interact with so many people reading ORPHAN TRAIN. I love meeting them and hearing about their feelings of connection to this book. It’s quite a special experience.
For more about what Christina is up to, visit her website: www.christinabakerkline.com
