Viola Nielson is Vivian/Niamh’s third and only legal adoptive mother. She is descended from Swedish Romani who migrated to the United States. She and her husband, Mr. Nielsen, run a successful general store in the town of Hemingford, Minnesota. They had a biological daughter, Vivian Nielsen, who died as a child from diphtheria. Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen ultimately ask “Dorothy” to take on the name of their late daughter, Vivian. Mrs. Nielsen is kind and provides well for Vivian/Niamh’s needs, but she and Vivian/Niamh never become deeply emotionally connected.
Viola Nielsen Quotes in Orphan Train
The Orphan Train quotes below are all either spoken by Viola Nielsen or refer to Viola Nielsen. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 29
Quotes
They don’t seem eager to learn about me, but then again, few people are. I get the sense that my abandonment, and the circumstances that brought me to them, matter little to them, compared to the need I might fill in their lives.
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Viola Nielsen Quotes in Orphan Train
The Orphan Train quotes below are all either spoken by Viola Nielsen or refer to Viola Nielsen. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 29
Quotes
They don’t seem eager to learn about me, but then again, few people are. I get the sense that my abandonment, and the circumstances that brought me to them, matter little to them, compared to the need I might fill in their lives.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
