Circle of Love

May 1, 1997
Gr 5-8-This latest installment in the life of the Kelly family focuses on 19-year-old Frances, who doesn't understand why Johnny Mueller, recovering physically and emotionally from a year in a Confederate POW camp, feels unready to commit to marriage. Hurt, she agrees to accompany an orphan who is to be reunited with his aunt and uncle in New York City where she becomes an escort for 30 orphan-train children on the return trip. At this point, much of the story becomes repetitive. Over and over Frances soothes frightened children, recalls her own fears, broods over Johnny, and ties bows in the girls' hair before they meet prospective parents at each stop. Her encounter with a former Confederate soldier-turned-bank-robber, traveling disguised as a minister, adds some excitement and gives her a new perspective on Johnny. The conclusion, in which Frances and Johnny are reconciled and agree to adopt rambunctious, charming Eddie, whom no one else wants, is predictable but comforting. Don't expect this story to deliver the punch of earlier titles in this series, such as Keeping Secrets (1995) or A Dangerous Promise (1994; both Delacorte). This orphan train chugs along at the more leisurely pace of any early romance with a dash of mystery.-Peggy Morgan, The Library Network, Wayne, NJ

April 1, 1997
Gr. 4^-6. Frances Kelly wants to marry young Johnny, recently returned home to Kansas from the Civil War. Johnny, however, has physical and spiritual war wounds to heal first, before he can think about marriage to his 19-year-old sweetheart. After an argument, Frances agrees to escort an orphan to New York, and then travel back west with 30 other children looking for families to adopt them. Rooted in historical fact, the narrative follows Frances' adventures on the train, the same train that carried her to an adoptive home just six years earlier. As Frances tries to meet the needs of her charges, she struggles with her own emotions. The story contains sadness, love, danger, and suspense. Young readers familiar with the Orphan Train Adventures series will not want to miss this installment. ((Reviewed April 1, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)