Discussion Questions
1. The orphan train riders in this book are each flawed in some way. Do you attribute this to their lot in life, or do you think it is innate? Discuss the flaws as they pertain to each character.
2. The author paints an image of time and place, richly detailed with descriptions that evoke emotion; which portions of the book are the most vivid to you and your experience when reading about the orphans’ journeys?
3. How was New York City’s treatment of the indigent different in the 1800s than it is today? Do you agree that the orphan train movement established by Reverend Brace was the impetus for our modern foster care system?
4. What surprised you the most about Tabitha and her journey?
5. Tabitha had many men in her life, her father, Scotty, Edmund and Pap, what do they all have in common?
6. Love and loss are themes throughout Forgetting Tabitha, not just between individuals but families. Discuss how this affected and was significant for each character as portrayed in the story.
7. Was Mary every truly able to forget Tabitha and would you want her to?
8. The author reveals that hundreds of thousands of orphans were sent on trains west. Were you aware of this time in our history?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)
Forgetting Tabitha (Dewey) - Discussion Questions
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