The Orphan Train Quartet A Family Apart Author:Joan Lowery Nixon The Orphan Train saga beings in 1856 in NYC, where Mrs. Kelly, a yound widow, realizes she cannot giver her 6 kids the life they deserve. Mrs. Kelly makes the ultimate sacrifice of love & sends them west on the orphan train to find better lives with new families. The kids, especially 13 yr old Frances Mary, feel an overwhelming sense of betraya... more »l & abandonment. Their arrival in St. Joseph, MO., not only separates the kids from their mom, but from each other as well. One by one they're adopted by western families-some looking for kids to love, others only seeking sheap labor. Frances had promised Ma that she would look after Petey, her youngest brother, no matter what. Masquerading as a boy, "Frankis's" adventures eventually invovle her in the activities of the Underground RailRoad. Will honoring Ma's request help Frances understand how splitting up the family was really her mother's act of love?