  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/15/2017 In this middle-grade adaptation of Kline’s best-selling adult novel, half Penobscot Molly, a modern foster child in rural Maine, finds a kindred spirit in the wealthy nonagenarian Vivian. Caught stealing The Secret Garden from the public library, Molly is forced to help Vivian clean out her attic. Though she’s wary of the elderly lady, she learns the two have something in common. Vivian herself is an orphan, having come to the U.S. from Ireland during the potato famine. When a fire destroys Vivian’s NYC tenement, killing the rest of her family, she’s sent off to Minnesota on an “orphan train.” Third-person passages alternating between Molly and 10-year-old Vivian, born Niamh and renamed by each of the families that takes her in, further flesh out common threads to their experiences. Though the book doesn’t quite pack the powerful emotional punch readers may expect, the muted emotions are situated in the context of the many hardships faced during the Great Depression. Back matter provides further historical context, useful for classroom instruction and enhancing the reading experience. Quietly moving. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 06/01/2017 Gr 4–6—Molly is a product of the foster care system and has spent most of her young life being shunted from one family to another. After stealing a copy of The Secret Garden from the public library, she is assigned community service: cleaning out the attic of the elderly, well-to-do Vivian Daly. The attic is full of mementos from Vivian's girlhood. As the two unpack boxes, Vivian shares her memories with Molly. Born Niamh (Neeve), Vivian first came to New York City in 1929 from Ireland. Not long after, Niamh's parents perished in a tragic fire, and she was transported with other orphans on a train bound for the Midwest to work for families in need of an extra pair of hands. After two unsuccessful placements, Niamh finally found a loving family. Molly comes to realize that she and Vivian share a lot in common. Molly, who is Penobscot Indian on her father's side, was raised on a reservation. After her father died in a car crash, her mother could no longer care for her properly, and she was forced to enter the foster care system. Kline expertly weaves the dual narratives of both Molly and Vivian as the two form a healing friendship. VERDICT With a mix of historical and contemporary settings, this successful adaptation of an adult novel is likely to appeal to both young and old.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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