I received this book free from the publisher
Book details:
Series: Orphan Train (Book 1)
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (June 6, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764218042
About this book:
A Riveting Look at the Orphan Train from Historical Novelist Jody Hedlund
When a financial crisis in 1850s New York leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, Elise Neumann, knows she must take action. She's had experience as a seamstress, and the New York Children's Aid Society has established a special service: placing out seamstresses and trade girls. Even though Elise doesn't want to leave her sisters for a job in Illinois, she realizes this may be their last chance.
The son of one of New York City's wealthiest entrepreneurs, Thornton Quincy faces a dilemma. His father is dying, and in order to decide which of his sons will inherit everything, he is requiring them to do two things in six months: build a sustainable town along the Illinois Central Railroad, and get married. Thornton is tired of standing in his twin brother's shadow and is determined to win his father's challenge. He doesn't plan on meeting a feisty young woman on his way west, though.
My thoughts:
I was very excited to start a new series by Jody. Her writing style always makes her stories flow and this book was no exception. This book had two things that I liked reading about the orphan train and trains in particular. I am still learning about the orphan trains so I find them interesting. It was nice that this author mixes a little bit of history with her fiction. She did a good job with the descriptions of places and such. There is a bit of romance in this book which for me adds to the story. I really liked Elisa and how she was outspoken and was not afraid to speak her mind. All the characters were well developed as well. To watch Elisa's and Thornton's relationship grow and develop was a nice story line. I am looking forward to the next book in this series to see which character we get to know better.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
Meet the author - Jody Hedlund:
Winner of 2016 Christian Book Award for fiction and Christy Award for historical romance, best-selling author Jody Hedlund writes inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
Author interview:
What is
the inspiration behind your new Orphan Train series?
I have long been fascinated by the era of the Orphan Trains and
the heart-wrenching stories of the homeless and helpless young orphans that
were taken from the streets of New York City and other eastern cities and
shipped West by the dozens. I was familiar with stories of those scared orphans
who were placed out in what was thought to be a more wholesome, healthy
environment of the newly settled Mid-Western states. Some of the orphans found
happy endings and were adopted into loving families. Others experienced great
abuse and heartache in their new homes.
While stories of the orphans who rode the trains have been
told—and rightly so—the stories of the women who were involved in the movement
are not as well known. One of the things I particularly like to do when telling
my stories, is focus on women who have been overlooked by the pages of history.
I consider it a great privilege to be able to bring forgotten women to life for
our modern generation. Thus, throughout this series, I’ll be focusing each book
on a different aspect of the Orphan Train movement, particularly from the
perspective of women who experienced riding the trains in one form or another.
What special research did you do in
writing With You Always?
In
the beginning phases of writing this series, I did a great deal of reading
about the orphan train movement. In particular, I really loved Stephen
O’Conor’s book, Orphan Trains,
because he includes so many personal stories and details about real orphans,
which are heart wrenching.
I
also read, A History of New York City to
1898, by Burrows and Wallace, which gave me great insights into the lives
of immigrants, particularly immigrant women. Masses of foreigners were arriving
into New York City on a daily basis, and the book gave a detailed look into
their pathetic housing situation, the difficult working conditions, as well as
gang problems and the underworld.
Finally,
another important aspect of the story that required a concentrated amount of
research was the development of railroads. The mid-1800’s was an incredible
period of growth for the railroad industry in the Mid-West. The new railroads
aided the orphan train movement but also brought about the settlement of the
Midwestern states, including Illinois, which is one of the settings of the
book.
Is there something you tell yourself before writing?
Usually I tell myself to sit down, put my
hands to the keyboard, and get to work. I don't wait for inspiration or magical
fairy dust to hit me before writing. I just do it.
But
I also always ask myself, what could make this story better? How can I increase
the tension? How can add more excitement? What can I do to make my characters
more likeable? I'm constantly challenging myself to make my story more vibrant
and alive.
With You Always is the third book
you’ve released in 2017. How do you find
time to write so many books?
I keep a very rigorous writing
schedule, usually writing six days a week. I give myself a challenging word
count goal—a certain number of words to write every day. Then, in the morning, I
sit down and write until I meet my goals. It’s as simple . . . and as hard as
that!
I like to compare being an author to a
marathon runner. The person training to run a marathon doesn’t start off
running twenty-six miles the first time she runs. Instead she begins with just
a few miles, strengthens her muscles, builds her endurance, and slowly adds
more miles.
Writing is the same way. Over the
years, I’ve strengthened my writing muscles and built up my endurance so that
now I can write faster and for longer stretches.
Do you have any parting words?
I love hearing
from readers! Make sure you stop by one of these places and say hello!
I hang out on
Facebook here: Author Jody Hedlund
I also love to
chat on Twitter: @JodyHedlund
My home base is
at my website: jodyhedlund.com
Find me on
Instagram: instagram.com/jodyhedlund/
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on Pinterest: pinterest.com/jodyhedlund/pins/
