Orphan Train Characters

Dina is Molly’s current foster mother. She works as a police dispatcher. She is politically conservative and frequently expresses her judgment of others for their social status, race, and appearance. She is suspicious of Molly and disapproves of her vegetarianism. Dina and Molly frequently fight.

Terry is Jack’s mother. She is white. She was a popular cheerleader in high school, and she wasn’t married to Jack’s father. She works as a housekeeper for Vivian. She is loyal to Vivian, protective of Jack and initially suspicious of Molly.

Lori is Molly’s social worker. She is energetic and direct. She encourages Molly to stay on track and treats Molly like she is smart and capable.

Mr. Reed is Molly’s American History teacher. He teaches a section on Native American history in which the local Penobscot tribe is featured. He nominates Molly for a history prize for a school project she creates featuring Vivian’s life story.

Tyler is a student in Molly’s American History class.

Megan is a student in Molly’s American History class.

Dominick and James are Vivian/Niamh’s twin brothers. They are born in Ireland around 1923, and immigrate with their parents and sister to New York. They die in a house fire in 1929.

Jim is Vivian/Niamh’s second husband and the former shipmate to her first husband, Dutchy. Vivian/Niamh gets along well with Jim, who is even-tempered and practical, but they are never in love. They have no children together, and are married for several decades.

Carmine is the 18-month-old baby Vivian/Niamh takes care of and becomes attached to on the orphan train. He is adopted by a young couple in Minneapolis. As an elderly woman, Vivian/Niamh discovers that Carmine grew up to be a salesman, married, and had many children and grandchildren.

Mrs. Scatcherd is the matron of the orphan train during Vivian/Niamh, Dutchy and Carmine’s ride. She is smart, strict, and authoritative, but wishes the children well and does her best to take care of their needs on the train. She works alongside Mr. Curran.

Mr. Curran is the second adult supervisor of the orphan train during Vivian/Niamh, Dutchy, and Carmine’s ride. He is well intended but is noticeably less able to manage the children than his colleague, Mrs. Scatcherd.

Fanny is the kind elderly woman who works as a seamstress for the Byrnes’ garment business in Albans, Minnesota. She is their most trusted employee. She immediately welcomes Vivian/Niamh (renamed “Dorothy” at the time) and does her best to look after her.

Mary is the Byrnes’ youngest seamstress at the Byrnes’ garment business in Albans, Minnesota. She is cold and mean to Vivian/Niamh (renamed “Dorothy” at the time) because she is afraid that the Byrnes’ will replace her job with “Dorothy’s” unpaid labor.

Bernice, Joan, and Sally are three of the seamstresses who work for the Byrnes’ garment business in Albans, Minnesota. Vivian/Niamh (renamed “Dorothy” at the time) takes comfort in the company of the seamstresses, with the exception of Mary.

Mabel is the three-year-old daughter of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt Vivian/Niamh (called “Dorothy” at the time) after the Byrnes. Like her siblings, Mabel is severely neglected and doesn’t seem to be developing normally.

Gerald Jr. is the two-year-old son of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt Vivian/Niamh (called “Dorothy” at the time) after the Byrnes. Like his siblings, Gerald Jr. is severely neglected and doesn’t seem to be developing normally. He clings to “Dorothy” more than most of his siblings.

Nettie is the baby daughter of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt Vivian/Niamh (called “Dorothy” at the time) after the Byrnes. Like her siblings, Nettie is severely neglected and doesn’t seem to be developing normally.

Harold is the six-year-old son of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt Vivian/Niamh (called “Dorothy” at the time) after the Byrnes. Like his siblings, Harold is severely neglected and doesn’t seem to be developing normally. He clings to “Dorothy” more than most of his siblings.

Mr. Post is the man who helps Miss Larsen to operate the rural schoolhouse Vivian/Niamh attends in Hemingford County, Minnesota. Mr. Post is kind and discrete.

Lucy is Niamh’s classmate at the rural schoolhouse she attends in Hemingford County, Minnesota.

Years before adopting Vivian/Niamh, Mr. Nielsen and his wife Viola have a biological daughter they name Vivian. She dies as a child of diphtheria. Niamh is then legally renamed as “Vivian” in memory of the Nielsen’s biological daughter.

Judy is Vivian/Niamh’s close friend during high school in Hemingford, Minnesota.

Lillian is Vivian/Niamh’s close friend during college in Hemingford, Minnesota. Like their shared friend Emily, she is more worldly and outgoing than Vivian/Niamh. She is engaged to Richard.

Richard is the fiancée of Lillian, Vivian/Niamh’s close friend from college. He has a grandiose demeanor that is off-putting to Vivian/Niamh.

Emily is Vivian/Niamh’s close friend during college in Hemingford, Minnesota. Like their shared friend Lillian, she is more worldly and outgoing than Vivian/Niamh.

Becca is the granddaughter of Sarah Dunnell and the biological great-granddaughter of Vivian/Niamh. She “likes adventure” and has red hair and freckles just like Vivian/Niamh. She comes along with her grandmother to meet Vivian/Niamh for the first time.

Francis Fahy was an Irish poet, nationalist, and ballad composer from the 1880s to the 1930s. He was born and died in Kinvara in County Galway, Ireland, but launched his literary career in England.