About the Book

In 1923, nine-year-old Hattie rides the Orphan Train from New York to Nebraska where she must adjust to a strange new life with a farmer and his wife, who is despondent over the loss of her two children.

Book Synopsis

In 1933, Hattie is sent to Nebraska after her parents die in a New York tenement fire. Once there, she lives on a farm with Henry and Elizabeth Jansen who are dealing with the deaths of their two children. While Elizabeth has trouble getting out of bed, Hattie feels unwanted and isolated. Together, they try to build a new life and come to terms with their personal losses.

From the Back Cover

If there's one word Hattie hates, it's grateful.

When her family dies in a New York tenement fire, people tell Hattie she should be grateful to be alive. Then they tell her to be grateful for the haven of the orphanage. Now, in 1933, she's supposed to be grateful for the Orphan Train that brought her to Nebraska, and for her new home with Henry and Elizabeth Jansen. Yes, Henry needs her help with the farm chores and with Elizabeth, who is still grieving for the death of her children. But Hattie knows she is unwanted. Can the Jansens ever love Hattie as their own?