The Book Club at LCGS ~ NEW!

A NEW member benefit for everyone passionate about family history. Each month we’ll explore a different book—fiction or nonfiction—highlighting themes of ancestry, identity, and family ties.

Our first meeting will be September 24, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Join us every month or simply drop in for the titles that interest you—each book is a stand-alone read, so you’re welcome anytime! The future meeting dates TBD.

Be sure to read our first selection (listed below) before we meet on September 24, so we’re ready to dive into a great discussion together.
Register using the following link:  https://zoom.us/meeting/register/x9BxOXYnR_uYFMuc9oMpdw

Our first selection: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Available on Kindle, Audiobook, paperback and hardback

Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude?

As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine, the memories of her upbringing rendered a hazy blur. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past.

Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they appear. A Penobscot Indian who has spent her youth in and out of foster homes, Molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past.

Advisory: This novel addresses difficult topics such as child neglect, abuse, and trauma