Riders on the orphan train

the long version

"Riders on the Orphan Train is a novel about a little-known piece of American history. Bewteen 1854 and 1929, over 250,000 orphans and 'surrendered' children were 'placed out' across the country. They started their journey in New York and were given away in train stations in every state in the continental United States. This is the story of two children from very different backgrounds, Ezra Duval and Elizabeth Farrell, who find themselves on the same train heading West in 1918. Their odyssey is a story of dislocation, loss, and the search for home that is at the heart of the American experience."--Back cover.