Hola

A Family Apart
Novel Notes

Chapter 1
• Jennifer (with long, dark hair) and her younger brother Jeff from Washington, DC are visiting their grandmother.
• The two are sitting on Grandma Briley’s front porch wishing they were home.
• Their dad is overseas and their mother is with them; however, she is always upstairs working on her novel.
• Grandma Briley showed the kids apicture of her grandmother’s mother (she looked like Jennifer). Her name was Frances Mary Kelly.
• Grandma tells the children that when Frances was about 13 (Jeff’s age), she was an orphan train child sent from NYC to St. Joseph, Missouri in 1860 before the beginning of the Civil War.
• Grandma shows the children a book written by Frances.
• The book is difficult to read, soGrandma is going to tell them stories.

Chapter 2
• Frances worked for Mr. Lomax as a scrubwoman. He sent her on an errand.
• It is cold outside, after September. Frances is in faded clothes and bare feet.
• People treated her rudely because she was so poor.
• Frances and Ma did chores for others (i.e. cleaning).
• Ma had left Ireland when she was 21 with her husband whowas 26 because they would have starved if they stayed there (potato crops dying).
• Dad had died of lung sickness.
• Brothers and sisters of Frances: Pete, Peg, Mike, Danny, Megan
• Frances was forced into a world of responsibility
• Descriptions:
- Megan (12) dark-haired, fragile, cared for little ones
- Peg (7) bouncy red curls and freckles- Petey (6) curly-haired, blue eyed
- Mike (11) red-headed
- Danny (10)
• Someone had snuck back in and pretended to be sleeping just as Ma and Frances arrived.
• It was brother Mike. Frances knew he was up to mischief.

Chapter 3
• Frances confronted Mike about what he was doing, but they were interrupted by Danny
• Danny has been close to Mikesince Dad died
• Frances’s friend Mara is sick
• Man suggests that Mara goes with Charles Loring Brace to the Children’s Aid Society for orphaned children
• A knife fell out of Mike’s pocket. He said he found it, but Frances knew he had stolen it
• Frances followed Mike one time and found out that he was stealing
• Mike was arrested for stealing money

Chapter 4
•Frances tells Ma that Mike is a copper stealer
• Ma goes to the police station and comes back saying that Mike will be locked up for the night
• The next morning Ma has a wrapped up package
• Frances is curious what the package is as they set out for the courthouse
• At the courthouse Ma introduces the children to Charles Loring Brace, the head of the Children’s Aid Society• Brace would ask the judge if he could have Mike to send him out west for a better life
• Ma told the judge that she wishes to send all of her children out west for a better life
• She asked the judge to send Mike with all of his brothers and sisters
• The judge agreed, and the kids would leave that night
• The kids didn’t understand – they would never forgive herChapter 5
• A scout, Mr. Andrew MacNair would place them in a good home
• Frances overheard a conversation about the kids being separated
• Frances was going to disappear and come back as “Frankie” because she heard the conversation that they sometimes take boys for farm work and she was responsible for Petey
• The kids were forced to bathe, trim their hair, and they were givenclothes
• They would be on a trip to St. Louis, Missouri




Chapter 6
• People are reacting badly toward the children on the train
• Amos Crandon was an important businessman on the train
• Frances was feeling resentment towards her mother, but she kept it inside of her
• She witnessed people mistreating a slave
• The kids are scared that they will be separated...