Book Detail

Gratefully Yours

Publication Information
Author:  Buchanan, Jane Illustrator:  
Title:  Gratefully Yours Date:  1997
Publisher:  Farrar Straus Giroux City:  New York
ISBN, paperback:  0-374-32775-0 ISBN, hardback:  

Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes ESOL:  
Family:   Yes Young Adult:   Yes
Picture:  

General Information:
Book Type(s):    fiction, historical fiction

HSE Descriptor(s):    social studies

Summary:
Orphaned by a New York tenement fire in 1920, Hattie rides an orphan train to Nebraska where she joins the Jansen household, Henry and his wife Elizabeth. The story relates the loss and healing process that both Hattie and Elizabeth experience. The story is told from Hattie's point of view, which some readers may find disconcerting. An Author's Note at the beginning provides interesting historical information about the phenomenon of orphan trains.

Teaching Ideas:
Use this book in a text set with Orphan Train. As an extension of the book students could compare the selection process of the orphans with slave auctions. The book could also be included in a text set on the theme of personal relocation. The West-Orphan Trains http://studyweb.com/culture/west/orphtrain.htm.

Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
bullet Emotions-Personal Issues > emotions > loss
bullet Emotions-Personal Issues > emotions > relocation, personal
bullet History > time period > 20th Century
bullet History > region > U.S. history
bullet Communities > rural > rural life > farms
bullet Transportation > trains
bullet Geography > locations > U.S. states/regions > Midwestern United States
bullet Family > children > foster children
bullet History > topic > orphan trains
bullet Family > orphan


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