BIBLIOGRAPHY:

LaFaye, A. Worth. 2006. Fleming, Tommy, Narrator. Pine Plains, NY : Live Oak Media. ISBN: 9781595197658

PLOT SUMMARY:

The setting is late nineteenth century on a farm in the middle of the Nebraska prairie. Eleven-year-old Nate is frantically helping his father gather cut hay into the barn before a fierce thunderstorm rolls in and ruins the entire cutting. In their scramble to work quickly, Nate’s pitchfork gets stuck in the hay wagon. As Nate struggles to free his pitchfork, he loses his balance and falls down on the ground. A crash of thunder startles the horse and jolts the wagon forward, the wheel crushing young Nate’s leg beneath it.

The local doctor sets Nate’s leg and orders him to bed rest and to avoid moving his leg. The months of confinement for Nate are filled with pain and the stark realization that he will never be able to move about as he once did, and will not be able to help on the family farm.

Nate’s mother is at his bedside and full of encouragement, Nate’s father deals with his sorrow and feelings of guilt over the accident by withdrawing, often unable to even look at his son and his suffering. Unable to work the farm alone, the father goes into town when the orphan train comes through to bring home a boy that is strong and able to help on the farm.

When the father returns with young John Worth, there is much competition between the boys as they each deal with their own fears and losses. John arrived on the orphan train from New York City after losing his entire family in a tenement fire. He has never known anything but crowded, inner city living. The wide-open country terrifies him and he knows nothing of farming or animals. Nate has his own fears over what his future will be with a handicapped leg. Both boys vie for the attention and respect of Nate’s father.

This is a touching story of strength, perseverance and trust. The journey the boys travel to find acceptance in each other and themselves is one that young readers will find appealing and exciting.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This was the unabridged audio version of Worth, narrated by Tommy Fleming. This edition has two compact discs, packaged in individual sleeves within a plastic case. Tommy Fleming’s narration was superb as he was able to smoothly navigate dialog from young boy, to mother, to father and include an array of emotions from anger to fear to humiliation and ultimately confidence and happiness. The sound on this recording was excellent; this was a pleasure to listen to and listeners will find themselves carried along into the story and feel the powerful struggle of “worth” that plays out in this story.

Orphan trains were used in the United States approximately between the years of 1853 and 1929. They carried inner city children from Northeastern states into the Midwest. The idea was to take abandoned or unwanted children off of the city streets and bring them to homes of families that wanted children. Many of these children did help out on family farms. The orphan trains had both success and failure for these children. This is a piece of American history that many may not know about. This story lends the opportunity to learn more about this period.

AWARDS:

Battle of the Books Reading List
Booklist Editors’ Choice
Charlotte Award Suggested Reading List (NY)
Golden Archer Award Master List (WI)
KSRC Intermediate Titles-TOP PICK
Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Master List
Nebraska Book Award Honor Book
Scott O’Dell Award
Southern California Literature Council Book Award
Spur Award Finalist (Western Writers of America)

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal: “A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.”

AudioFile: “Tommy Fleming narrates with an edgy voice that helps the listener understand the raw feelings that permeate the story. Heartfelt emotions are evident, and Fleming’s youthful voice and slight Midwestern accent add to the story’s authenticity.”

Starred review from Booklist: The short, spare novel doesn’t need the heavy heroic parallels; it tells its own story of darkness and courage. A great choice for American history classes.

CONNECTIONS:

• For more books about the orphan trains try:

Nixon, Jean Lowry. A Family Apart (The Orphan Train Adventures Series #1). ISBN: 9780440226765

O’Connor, Stephen. Orphan Trains : The Story of Charles Loring Brace and the Children He Saved and Failed. ISBN: 9780226616674

Warren, Andrea. Orphan Train Rider : One Boy’s True Story. ISBN: 9780395913628

• Further Information on the Orphan Trains:

http://www.genealinks.com/orphantrain.htm

A collection of information on the Orphan Trains and the children that rode them, includes photographs.

http://www.orphantraindepot.com/OrphanTrainHistory.html

“The Museum and Research Center are dedicated to the preservation of
the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train
Movement from 1854-1929.”