LitPick Review
Fly Little Bird, Fly chronicles the life of Oliver and his younger brother, Edward, when they become orphans in New York City. After living in an orphanage and being separated from each other for a year, the two brothers are chosen to travel on the orphan train together. This train brought orphans from New York City across the country to find them homes in the Western United States. In Kansas, Oliver and Edward are chosen to live in the home of two farmers. Unfortunately, their new foster home is less than exemplary; the boys are forced to do farm chores and are given no affection. After a few years at this home, Oliver and Edward are once again sent away on the orphan train, since their current foster family could no longer care for them. The brothers arrive in a new town, only to be split up into different families. The two brothers now rest all their hopes on seeing each other again.
Opinion:
Fly Little Bird, Fly was an average book. The plotline certainly had potential: the story of the Orphan Trains that raced across the United States in the late 1800s is a fascinating part of history. Unfortunately, I felt that the author did not live up to this plotline. The writing in this book was tolerable, but nothing special. I felt that the author was not able to put herself in the mind of a young boy very well. Many of the thoughts of Oliver didn't seem very accurate; he often seemed too naive for his age. Some of the events also seemed rather improbable that they would actually happen. I would recommend reading other books about the orphan train before you read this one- they would probably be a better use of your time.
