Inspirational books with orphaned main characters.
Homeward the Seeking Heart
By Peart, Jane
In spring 1890, three eight-year-old girls leave overcrowded, bleak Greystone Orphanage near Boston and set out together on the "Orphan Train", heading West to adoptive homes. Along the way shy Laurel, vivacious Toddy and scholarly Kit make a vow to be "forever friends". This is Toddy's story -- the precious gift of hope. Left at Greystone by her actress mother, exuberant Toddy joins the household of a wealthy, reserved widow who seeks a companion for her invalid granddaughter. Although her presence brings much joy to their gloomy home, happiness seems to elude Toddy ... First book in the Orphan Train West series.
Publisher: n/a
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786225319
|
Book
Before Green Gables
By Wilson, Budge
Before Green Gables is the story of Anne Shirley's life before her arrival at Green Gables- a heartwarming tale of a precocious child whose lively imagination and relentless spirit help her to overcome difficult circumstances and of a young girl's ability to love, learn, and above all, dream.
Publisher: n/a
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9780399154683
|
Book
Orphan Train
By Kline, Christina Baker
The #1 New York Times Bestseller Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a little-known but historically significant movement in America's past - and it includes a special PS section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to "aging out" out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both. Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780061950728
|
Paperback
The Little Sparrows
By Lacy, Al
Kearney, Cheyenne, Rawlins. Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco. At each train station, a few lucky orphans from the crowded streets of New York City receive the fulfillment of their dreams: a home and family. This "orphan train" is the vision of Charles Loring Brace, founder of the Children's Aid Society, who cannot bear to see innocent children abandoned in the overpopulated cities of the mid-nineteenth-century. Yet it is not just the orphans whose lives need mending -- follow the train along and watch God's hand restore love and laughter to the right family at the right time!
Publisher: n/a
|
9781590520635
|
Paperback
With You Always
By Hedlund, Jody
When a financial crisis in 1850s New York leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, Elise Neumann, knows she must take action. She's had experience as a seamstress, and the New York Children's Aid Society has established a special service: placing out seamstresses and trade girls. Even though Elise doesn't want to leave her sisters for a job in Illinois, she realizes this may be their last chance. The son of one of New York City's wealthiest entrepreneurs, Thornton Quincy faces a dilemma. His father is dying, and in order to decide which of his sons will inherit everything, he is requiring them to do two things in six months: build a sustainable town along the Illinois Central Railroad, and get married. Thornton is tired of standing in his twin brother's shadow and is determined to win his father's challenge. He doesn't plan on meeting a feisty young woman on his way west, though.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780764218040
|
Audiobook
River to Redemption
By Gabhart, Ann H
Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who stayed in Springfield, Kentucky, when anyone with means had fled. A man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions. Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She's determined to find a way to buy Louis's freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she'll face an uphill battle. Based partly on a true story, Ann H. Gabhart's latest historical novel is a tour de force. The vividly rendered town of Springfield and its citizens immerse readers in a story of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780800723644
|
Paperback
The Maiden of Mayfair
By Blackwell, Lawana
If the truth is revealed, will she lose all she's grown to love? An orphanage in the slums of London is the only home Sarah Matthews has ever known. When she is suddenly whisked away to a wealthy widow's home in the prestigious Mayfair district, Sarah can't fathom what has happened. Why would this elderly woman, a stranger, want her company? But Dorothea Blake has reasons she isn't revealing. As Sarah blossoms into a young woman, the secret Mrs. Blake harbors threatens to make them both outcasts among London's elite. When a visitor unknowingly stumbles upon the truth, he puts Sarah at risk of losing everything she holds dear, including the attentions of a new curate. Will the mystery of her birth remain buried forever?
Publisher: n/a
|
9780764222580
|
Paperback
Promise Me Tomorrow
By Wick, Lori
Katherine Taggert—nicknamed “Rusty” for her curly red hair—shines like a ray of sunshine at her aunt and uncle’s orphanage. Unaccustomed to traveling alone in the pioneer West, Rusty is accompanied on her first orphanage placement trip by the kind but reserved widower Chase McCandles.
When Chase offers Rusty a position in his stately home as a companion for his young son, Quintin, Rusty accepts. But when she realizes how little time Chase spends with Quintin, Rusty’s heart is torn. How can she convince Chase that his son desperately needs a father?
And can Chase learn to trust God to help him demonstrate his love and affection for Quintin—and for Rusty?
A heartwarming story of love, trust, and family.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781565076952
|
Paperback
Light of My Heart
By Aiken, Ginny
Dr. Letitia Morgan comes to Hartville, Colorado, in the late 1800s to follow her God-given calling to heal. Soon she becomes Hartville's ministering angel, reaching out to the children of the town drunk, and skillfully touching all who need her. But not everyone warms to the lovely new physician and Letty ruffles plenty of feathers when she takes on Hartville's thriving brothels. As she rescues first one then another young girl forced into the sordid trade, Letty becomes the target of some of the town's most powerful people. Eric Wagner, Hartville's newspaper editor, finds he got much more than he bargained for when he brought this female doctor to town. As Letty stirs more controversy with each passing day, he wonders if he can save the noble-minded doctor from herself. This is heart-warming and engaging fiction at its best, straight from the pen of a skilled storyteller.
Publisher: n/a
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9780800758745
|
Paperback
Out of the Embers
By Cabot, Amanda
Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents' murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don't include a family of his own. At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage? Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780800735357
|
Paperback
The Redemption of Sarah Cain
By Lewis, Beverly
Sarah Cain is happy with her urban townhouse, her BMW, her success as a real estate broker in Portland, Ore. Her days are brimming over with e-mail, phone calls, appointments and closings, and that's just the way she likes it. The best thing about her self-absorbed existence is that she has broken free of the shadow of her controlling older sister, Ivy, a widow who lives with her five children in an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pa. Sarah, a nonbeliever, never supported Ivy's decision to embrace the Plain People. She considers it a type of punishment to keep the children from enjoying a normal American lifestyle. But it's none of her business, at least not until she receives word that Ivy has met an untimely death, and has named Sarah as her children's guardian.
Publisher: n/a
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9780764223884
|
Book
The Proposal
By Wick, Lori
William, a confirmed bachelor, becomes guardian to three children. When the girl’s nanny proves abusive, William seeks counsel from his sister and her husband and meets Marianne—who changes his beliefs about women and God.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780736905589
|
Paperback
Room for Hope
By Sawyer, Kim Vogel
In a desperate time, can Neva find forgiveness for a grievous wrong - and make room for hope? Neva Shilling has a heavy load of responsibility while her husband travels to neighboring communities and sells items from his wagon. In his absence, she faithfully runs the Shilling Mercantile, working to keep their business strong as the Depression takes its toll, and caring for their twins. When a wagon pulls up after supper, Neva and her children rush out - and into the presence of the deputy driving a wagon carrying three young children. The deputy shocks her with the news that Warren and his wife have died, insisting it was their last request that the three children go live with "Aunt Neva." Neva's heart is shattered as she realizes that Warren's month-long travels were excuses for visits with his secret family. She wants nothing more than to forget Warren, but can she abandon these innocent children to an orphanage? Yet if she takes them in, will she ever be able to see them as more than evidence of her husband's betrayal and love them the way God does?
Publisher: n/a
|
9780307731371
|
Book
The Hesitant Hero
By Morris, Gilbert
Will they ever make it to the coast? It all depends on... the HESITANT HERO. When Tyler Winslow is expelled from college in New York, he decides to study art in Paris. When he fails at that as well, and with no family or career to return to in the States, he settles further south in France, painting for his own pleasure and pursuing a woman he had dated in college. Jolie Vernay has no interest in Tyler, but their lives are soon entwined with those of several Jewish orphans. As the conflicts of World War II come dangerously close, Tyler starts to understand that the world doesn't revolve around him. He and Jolie agree that they must flee the country and get the children to safety. Then a baby is also thrust into their care, further complicating the already desperate situation.
Inspirational books with orphaned main characters.
Homeward the Seeking Heart
By Peart, Jane
In spring 1890, three eight-year-old girls leave overcrowded, bleak Greystone Orphanage near Boston and set out together on the "Orphan Train", heading West to adoptive homes. Along the way shy Laurel, vivacious Toddy and scholarly Kit make a vow to be "forever friends". This is Toddy's story -- the precious gift of hope. Left at Greystone by her actress mother, exuberant Toddy joins the household of a wealthy, reserved widow who seeks a companion for her invalid granddaughter. Although her presence brings much joy to their gloomy home, happiness seems to elude Toddy ... First book in the Orphan Train West series.
Before Green Gables
By Wilson, Budge
Before Green Gables is the story of Anne Shirley's life before her arrival at Green Gables- a heartwarming tale of a precocious child whose lively imagination and relentless spirit help her to overcome difficult circumstances and of a young girl's ability to love, learn, and above all, dream.
Orphan Train
By Kline, Christina Baker
The #1 New York Times Bestseller Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a little-known but historically significant movement in America's past - and it includes a special PS section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to "aging out" out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both. Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.
The Little Sparrows
By Lacy, Al
Kearney, Cheyenne, Rawlins. Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco. At each train station, a few lucky orphans from the crowded streets of New York City receive the fulfillment of their dreams: a home and family. This "orphan train" is the vision of Charles Loring Brace, founder of the Children's Aid Society, who cannot bear to see innocent children abandoned in the overpopulated cities of the mid-nineteenth-century. Yet it is not just the orphans whose lives need mending -- follow the train along and watch God's hand restore love and laughter to the right family at the right time!
With You Always
By Hedlund, Jody
When a financial crisis in 1850s New York leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, Elise Neumann, knows she must take action. She's had experience as a seamstress, and the New York Children's Aid Society has established a special service: placing out seamstresses and trade girls. Even though Elise doesn't want to leave her sisters for a job in Illinois, she realizes this may be their last chance. The son of one of New York City's wealthiest entrepreneurs, Thornton Quincy faces a dilemma. His father is dying, and in order to decide which of his sons will inherit everything, he is requiring them to do two things in six months: build a sustainable town along the Illinois Central Railroad, and get married. Thornton is tired of standing in his twin brother's shadow and is determined to win his father's challenge. He doesn't plan on meeting a feisty young woman on his way west, though.
River to Redemption
By Gabhart, Ann H
Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who stayed in Springfield, Kentucky, when anyone with means had fled. A man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions. Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She's determined to find a way to buy Louis's freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she'll face an uphill battle. Based partly on a true story, Ann H. Gabhart's latest historical novel is a tour de force. The vividly rendered town of Springfield and its citizens immerse readers in a story of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.
The Maiden of Mayfair
By Blackwell, Lawana
If the truth is revealed, will she lose all she's grown to love? An orphanage in the slums of London is the only home Sarah Matthews has ever known. When she is suddenly whisked away to a wealthy widow's home in the prestigious Mayfair district, Sarah can't fathom what has happened. Why would this elderly woman, a stranger, want her company? But Dorothea Blake has reasons she isn't revealing. As Sarah blossoms into a young woman, the secret Mrs. Blake harbors threatens to make them both outcasts among London's elite. When a visitor unknowingly stumbles upon the truth, he puts Sarah at risk of losing everything she holds dear, including the attentions of a new curate. Will the mystery of her birth remain buried forever?
Promise Me Tomorrow
By Wick, Lori
Katherine Taggert—nicknamed “Rusty” for her curly red hair—shines like a ray of sunshine at her aunt and uncle’s orphanage. Unaccustomed to traveling alone in the pioneer West, Rusty is accompanied on her first orphanage placement trip by the kind but reserved widower Chase McCandles.
When Chase offers Rusty a position in his stately home as a companion for his young son, Quintin, Rusty accepts. But when she realizes how little time Chase spends with Quintin, Rusty’s heart is torn. How can she convince Chase that his son desperately needs a father?
And can Chase learn to trust God to help him demonstrate his love and affection for Quintin—and for Rusty?
A heartwarming story of love, trust, and family.
Light of My Heart
By Aiken, Ginny
Dr. Letitia Morgan comes to Hartville, Colorado, in the late 1800s to follow her God-given calling to heal. Soon she becomes Hartville's ministering angel, reaching out to the children of the town drunk, and skillfully touching all who need her. But not everyone warms to the lovely new physician and Letty ruffles plenty of feathers when she takes on Hartville's thriving brothels. As she rescues first one then another young girl forced into the sordid trade, Letty becomes the target of some of the town's most powerful people. Eric Wagner, Hartville's newspaper editor, finds he got much more than he bargained for when he brought this female doctor to town. As Letty stirs more controversy with each passing day, he wonders if he can save the noble-minded doctor from herself. This is heart-warming and engaging fiction at its best, straight from the pen of a skilled storyteller.
Out of the Embers
By Cabot, Amanda
Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents' murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don't include a family of his own. At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage? Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.
The Redemption of Sarah Cain
By Lewis, Beverly
Sarah Cain is happy with her urban townhouse, her BMW, her success as a real estate broker in Portland, Ore. Her days are brimming over with e-mail, phone calls, appointments and closings, and that's just the way she likes it. The best thing about her self-absorbed existence is that she has broken free of the shadow of her controlling older sister, Ivy, a widow who lives with her five children in an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pa. Sarah, a nonbeliever, never supported Ivy's decision to embrace the Plain People. She considers it a type of punishment to keep the children from enjoying a normal American lifestyle. But it's none of her business, at least not until she receives word that Ivy has met an untimely death, and has named Sarah as her children's guardian.
The Proposal
By Wick, Lori
William, a confirmed bachelor, becomes guardian to three children. When the girl’s nanny proves abusive, William seeks counsel from his sister and her husband and meets Marianne—who changes his beliefs about women and God.
Room for Hope
By Sawyer, Kim Vogel
In a desperate time, can Neva find forgiveness for a grievous wrong - and make room for hope? Neva Shilling has a heavy load of responsibility while her husband travels to neighboring communities and sells items from his wagon. In his absence, she faithfully runs the Shilling Mercantile, working to keep their business strong as the Depression takes its toll, and caring for their twins. When a wagon pulls up after supper, Neva and her children rush out - and into the presence of the deputy driving a wagon carrying three young children. The deputy shocks her with the news that Warren and his wife have died, insisting it was their last request that the three children go live with "Aunt Neva." Neva's heart is shattered as she realizes that Warren's month-long travels were excuses for visits with his secret family. She wants nothing more than to forget Warren, but can she abandon these innocent children to an orphanage? Yet if she takes them in, will she ever be able to see them as more than evidence of her husband's betrayal and love them the way God does?
The Hesitant Hero
By Morris, Gilbert
Will they ever make it to the coast? It all depends on... the HESITANT HERO. When Tyler Winslow is expelled from college in New York, he decides to study art in Paris. When he fails at that as well, and with no family or career to return to in the States, he settles further south in France, painting for his own pleasure and pursuing a woman he had dated in college. Jolie Vernay has no interest in Tyler, but their lives are soon entwined with those of several Jewish orphans. As the conflicts of World War II come dangerously close, Tyler starts to understand that the world doesn't revolve around him. He and Jolie agree that they must flee the country and get the children to safety. Then a baby is also thrust into their care, further complicating the already desperate situation.