One-sentence summary: Two orphan girls, generations apart, become friends as we learn their stories, heartbreaks, and triumphs.
B.A.D. Girls Book Rating: 7
Our favorite thing about it: The historical aspects, especially learning about the actual orphan train.
Our least favorite thing about it: That the end was so abrupt and kind of fell flat.
Main Topics of Discussion: History, Orphans, Foster System, Child Labor, Rape, Family
Our favorite quote: “I learned long ago that loss is not only probable but inevitable.”
Notes: We were really interested in the history of the orphan train and were surprised to find out that it was a real thing. It was also interesting – as well as heartbreaking – to learn the way orphans were viewed…as evil and burdens on society. They were basically dealt with in any way possible. And that meant that many of them ended up being child laborers for families who took in an orphan just to use them for labor. It also meant that they may have lived in harsh or abusive homes and environments with little to no accountability on the families with which they were placed. Vivian’s story, especially of her early years, taught us all about this from her perspective. It was a very rich, emotionally charged story.
Flipping back to present day with Molly, we learned a little bit about what it might be like to be a foster child. Some of her feelings were eye-opening to us and such an interesting perspective. That she always had to ask for everything, never felt like she could be her true self, and lived in fear of rejection, was terrible and revealing. Living in survival mode for both girls was exhausting for them.
As the story began to wind up to the climax and then to the ending, Vivian’s tragedy continued into her young adult life even though she had found a loving set of adoptive parents. She made a difficult decision out of fear of loss again that haunted her for the rest of her life. For both Molly and Vivian, their friendship was rewarding and the ending allowed some resolution for both of them. However, when it came to the ending, we felt it was just a little bit rushed compared to the pace of the rest of the story. And maybe because of that, it just fell a little flat to us. It was not as emotionally charged as the rest of the story so we felt that it didn’t do the rest of the story justice to end like that. Not that the ending itself was bad, just that the writing didn’t flesh out things like we had been used to. Overall, a great read and a book we’d definitely recommend.
Memorable Meeting Moments: We had our potluck Thanksgiving meal. We took selfies outside in the SNOW! Stephanie hosted and crotched placemats for her table…beautiful!
What We Ate: Turkey and Ham, Dressing, Rolls, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potatoes, Cauliflower Casserole, Creamed Corn, and Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting
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