To Dakota and Back

Judith Kappenman's "To Dakota and Back: The Story of an Orphan Train Rider," a biography of her grandfather John Donahue, will take you to Dakota and back, but also into an amazing family saga spanning a century and painfully detailing a shameful period in American history during which orphans were "farmed out" from the East to the Midwest to help families establish new lives. Despite what he felt was a loveless childhood, Donahue prevailed, building a successful life and presiding over a loving and supportive family. Their eventual return to Massachusetts brings the story full circle, and is a family history to be remembered.