Publisher's Synopsis
The Last Orphan Train
a.k.a. The Girl in Falling Snow
Alice Childs, a strikingly beautiful thirteen year old girl, immigrates with her mother to America from London. During a black night in the voyage across the sea, Alice's mother is murdered. Now an orphan and penniless, Alice arrives in New York where she must survive on the dangerous streets by her wits and courage. She is arrested for stealing food for her starving little friend Gracie. Released into the custody of the nuns of the Catholic Church Children's Aid Society she is transported to Minnesota on the last of their "Orphan Trains." There she falls into the hands of people brutal and vile and must fight the two men who attack her. Frightened, hungry, freezing, she flees into the snow covered wilderness of northern Minnesota and trying to reach sanctuary in Canada. She is pursued by the sadistic rapist Taggert.
During her journey, Alice encounters the half crazy Will also fleeing north to Canada, the black faced wolf that is drawn to follow her because of her female scent, and the young fur trapper Paul and his mighty wolf hound Brutus. Exhausted and freezing, Alice reaches the frozen Rainy River. Crossing the ice she falls through and becomes trapped beneath it. She is rescued by Paul. She and Paul and Brutus and the black face wolf and the killer Taggert meet in a final battle of survival.
