“Orphan Train” author Christina Baker Kline wrapped up her visit to The University of Alabama campus with a public lecture on Tuesday evening. Over 800 people were present, including Honors College students, Honors Year One interns and faculty. 

Kline’s visit was well-received by the University community, and those who attended her lecture particularly appreciated the extra insight into “Orphan Train” and her advice to aspiring writers.

“I’ve written a lot of books; yet, every book continues to feel like my first,” Kline said. “They all present different challenges and I’m always learning. The best advice I can offer is to just get the words on the page. Until you have words on the page, you don’t know what you’ve got.”

Kline had a busy few days on campus, hosting several events from a book signing to a creative writing workshop. 

“We’ve been so thrilled to have Ms. Kline with us on campus,” said Alicia Browne, director of college relations for the Honors College. “She has been so generous with her time and so enthusiastic with every event that we have planned for her. Her energy doesn’t seem to run out.” 

The appreciation was certainly reciprocated; Kline spent the first few minutes of the lecture raving about her experience on campus, praising Frutta Bowls, baked oatmeal and Southern hospitality.

Kline’s lecture was all-encompassing, providing historical background on orphan trains and insight into her decision-making process while writing. She also drew parallels between immigrants’ quality of life when her book was written and today, referring to their time spent at the bottom of the social chain as a “hazing” period.

“[The lecture] really added to my understanding of why the book was written,” said Samantha Smith, a freshman majoring in chemical engineering. “I had never heard of “Orphan Trains” before and it’s a really cool story with a rich history and it was interesting to hear how she actually found out about this history and hearing about her process.” 

Kline spoke with Honors College instructor Rob Alley’s class earlier on Tuesday, and he spoke of his appreciation for both her art and her careful attention to detail in explaining that art.

“I loved the book; it was a really fantastic book. I thought she did a really good job navigating all of the historical elements and turning it into a really compelling story,” Alley said. “When she came and spoke to my class today, it was very engaging and interesting. She’s a great artist, and does a really great job of explaining her art.”