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Secrets: The Third Story in the Orphan Train Trilogy

Robert Noonan
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595436286
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (3/08)

“Secrets” is the final book in the “Orphan Train Trilogy” by Robert Noonan.  This book, which begins in the year 1900, continues exploring the lives of the children who had arrived in Newberry, Illinois on the orphan train.  Alternating settings between Newberry and Galena, Illinois we also get to see what has become of Hillary, Kate, John, and Biff whose background we learned of in the first book in the trilogy, “Wildflowers.” 

This third book is entitled “Secrets” and indeed almost every person in the book has a secret that only they or a couple of other people know about.  Hillary has the secret about what happened to her in the mill in Frank Dragus’ office.  Kate is hiding what happened on the day when they left Alton, Delaware for the last time to join John who was forced to flee after being accused of a murder that he did not commit.  Hillary misses her two closest friends in Alton but she cannot tell them where she is in order to protect her family from the man that is trying to avenge his brother’s death.  However, unbeknownst to Kate and John she enlists the help of another orphan, Pina, in getting letters to her friends.  This action compromises their secret though and puts them in danger once again.

It was interesting to read this trilogy and to think about how orphan trains were truly a part of American history from 1854 to 1929.  I honestly do not remember learning about orphan trains in history class and I am grateful for these books for teaching me about them.  I had no idea that this was the fate for so many children in that era. 

Although “Secrets” did not have as many surprises as the second story “Bridie’s Daughter,” I enjoyed reading how all of the lives of the orphans and their adoptive families intertwined.  Noonan does a good job of linking everyone together and forming relationships among them.  Most of the loose ends throughout the trilogy are now tied up but I do believe that there is definitely room for a sequel.


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