Looking for Home

"The Orphans' Journey" is one story told in 4 sequential books. The setting of the books is in the late 1800's, where you meet the Cooper family of 9 siblings, who have no parents. There are too many children to take care of, so 4 of them are sent away to Briarlane Christian Children's Home. This story centers on those 4 kids: Ethan, Alice, Simon, and Will. Ethan, being the oldest of the four being sent to the orphanage, feels he must be the one to keep his family together. Things get a little crazy & out of hand, as the train is coming to pick up orphans to take them across the country. To add to all the chaos, more challenges are created when bullies appear at the orphanage, and also when the siblings are threatened by being adopted into separate families. In the Cooper's adventures, they encounter Indians, a dust storm, and meet up with a horrifying bandit. It takes a lot of courage for Ethan to keep track of his other 3 siblings, plus his new friends at the orphanage. He wants to stay with everyone he loves, but decisions have to be made. He finds that looking to God will help him sort his troubles. In this series, where one book leaves off, the next book continues. It is like reading one big story, divided into 4 books (each of which are approximately 140 pages). Also, you might recognize the author, Arleta Richardson, writer of the "Grandma's Attic" series. This was a wonderful series of books. I learned a lot about orphan trains, and other things going on in that time period, etc. I think a lot of kids would definitely enjoy reading these books. Book One: Looking for Home Book Two: Whistle-stop West Book Three: Prairie Homestead Book Four: Across the Border

Actually, I read the story in the Sacramento Bee as a serialized story. It was in the paper every Mon thru Fri for a total of 21 days and I found it difficult to wait a day for the next chapter, weekends were even worse. I cried with sorrow during some of the reading and laughed with joy at other times. Marvin Wilsey

This book is written for children. It is very readable for children. The story is easy to follow. It is a great book for teaching children about the orphan train with a Christian perspective. "Ethan", the main character, was my grandfather. Richardson does a great job of fictionalizing his life.