Michael D. Patrick

Read for the December Missouri Readers Selection. In 1853, Charles Loring Brace formed the Children's Aid Society to offer food, lodging, and clothing to the orphans of New York City. However, they were unable to keep up with the demand, and so they decided to send the children to the Midwest for adoption by farm families, with the thought that it would be a good experience for the children, and would supply needed labor for the farm families. This is the story of the orphans who rode the trains from New York to Missouri to start new lives.
On the surface, this seems a good idea, and it was frequently successful for the children and those who adopted them. However, I was disturbed by the attitudes of the time that blithely accepted this mass transport of children, some of whom were not orphans but were left at the orphanages temporarily by their parents who were struggling to support them. Many siblings were separated with no thought to the emotional consequences, and some of the children were simply used as "free labor" on the farms.
This was a great book. I struggled with the moral dilemma, but I suppose it was what was done at the time. A very touching story.… (altro)