Super Short Summary

In A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon, set in mid-nineteenth-century America, six siblings are forced into the orphan train program due to their mother’s inability to care for them after their father’s death. Focusing on the oldest sibling Frances, who disguises herself as a boy, the story explores loyalty, gender norms, and the consequences of slavery as she navigates new challenges and fights to remain connected with her siblings. Sensitive topics include slavery and family separation.