Orphan Train Video/Audio

15 minutes

Questions:

How close are the events you describe in the novel to real life? (00:19)
Did situations like the Grotes' home really exist? (01:19)
Was it common for train riders to keep their experiences secret? (02:35)
How did most train riders ultimately feel about having been put on a train? (03:50)
Did the research for this book give you a bleak perspective of human nature? (05:48)
Why did you write a novel – and not nonfiction -- about the orphan trains? (07:47)
Did you know everything that would happen in the novel when you started, or did you change things as you went along? (09:00)
Why did Maisie have to die? (10:57)
Why didn't you show the reunion between Vivian and Sarah? (11:58)
And finally … the question every book club asks: Why did Vivian give away her daughter? (13:28)

Prairie Public Broadcasting, 6 minutes

90 seconds

We can’t see you and not talk about the huge success that was Orphan Train. #1 International bestseller. 3.5 million copies in print. 5 weeks at number one on New York Times bestseller. Were you pinching yourself? (2:30)
Why do you think Orphan Train resonated with so many people? (3:15)
Are there any riders still living? (3:45)
On your website you have tons of questions people have asked you and answers. You even talk about the most interesting facts you’ve found. But, since the book has come out, have you found anything else that has surprised you even more? (4:25)
The character in Orphan Train is able to find family, trace back her roots, with the help of another character. That isn’t always as easy for others. (5:20)
Is there anything, as you’ve talked to people, that you find people want to relate to today, to take a lesson from your book and apply it to today? (6:00)
There’s been rumors of a movie with Orphan Train. Where does that stand? (7:45)