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Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Fraser Valley Regional Library.
Feb 26, 2018darladoodles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A heartbreaking narrative with two threads -- one in the present and one in the distant past. Vivian Daly was an Irish orphan named Niamh who was sent west on an orphan train in 1929. Molly is in the Maine foster system and has been bounced from one home to another growing more cynical with each move. She is caught stealing a library book and her community service assignment is helping Vivian clean out her attic. While they go through Vivian's boxes, her story is told and they realize they have mouch in common. There was much I loved about this book. The dual narratives fit well together and it was clear that the two characters brought out the best in each other. Of the two stories being told, I definitely preferred Vivian's. What I was disappointed in was Molly's story. It seemed like her foster mother was a hopeless caricature -- too many traits thrown together that did not all seem to fit. There were also some details thrown in like an intimate encounter with Jack that did not seem to move the story forward. I would have also like to see some closure on Molly's story that mirrored what we saw in Vivians's. Definitely a good book group selection!