Abandoned: The Untold Story of Orphan Asylums, by local author Michael
Keene, presents eye-opening, true-to-life tales of the Five Points area of New York City
and the desperation of a million Irish immigrants who hoped to find better conditions in
New York after leaving behind the famine they experienced in their homeland in 1848.
As a result of this crisis, the Age of Orphan Asylums began, culminating in one of the
most improbable and audacious episodes in American history. Known as the Orphan
Train Movement, everyday heroes endeavored to rescue and liberate these children
who were lost to the streets or in the hands of uncaring institutions.