Stop the Train

Cissy and her family have come to set up a grocery store in the brand new town of Florence, Oklahoma, near the railroad. She quickly makes friends with a very chatty, kind boy called Kookie, short for Habbakuk. Other people come to stake their claim on plots of land, and open up businesses. It is all very exciting but the settlers of this new town soon discover they have a serious problem. The railroad company wanted the land the town is being built on, and when everyone turns down the cash they are offered to give up their claims, the railroad boss announces his trains will not stop in Florence. The railroad is the reason for the town's existence, and without it Florence will collapse before it is properly started.

How the townsfolk of show more Florence get together and stop the train is the story of this delightful historical novel for older children, set in the US in the 1890s. What really made this such an enjoyable read was a vibrant cast of characters. As well as Cissy and Kookie and the other children, there is Herman the Mormon signwriter, who has a moral objection to money and wants to get to Salt Lake City, Utah, where most Mormons live, but has only been able to trade his services for a ticket to Florence.

My favourite adult character, though, is Mrs Loucien Shades, a widow who answered an ad for a wife but when someone else is offered that position, agrees to become the town's schoolteacher. She has no formal teaching qualifications and possibly rather less formal education herself than might be expected, but what she lacks in technical expertise, she makes up for in other ways. She loves the children and they love her, and she has some inspired ideas for keeping the curriculum interesting, for example getting all the adults in town to come in and talk to the children about their work or other subjects they know about.

I love to read historical fiction with very strong but believable female characters. Girls and women in this time and place must have been tough – they would have had to be to survive the trials and tribulations of pioneer life.

I also liked the way in which the novel shows that the people of Florence need each other, the need to get together and plan collective action to achieve their goal. They are full of bright ideas and enthusiasm, though some of their plans don't quite work.

Although written for children, this very funny and touching historical novel is a great read which many adults would enjoy too.

The sequel, Pull Out All the Stops is due out in October and is also recommended. I plan to look for more of Geraldine McCaughrean's work very soon. show less

This was a fun story about the trials of a small, newly settled town called Florence in Oklahoma in the 19th century. The settlers are entirely dependent on the railroad for supplies for their town now and for business in future. But when they refuse to sell their plots of land to the railroad company, the owner of the railroad announces that he will make sure no trains will stop at Florence until the people are driven out.

Realising that their only hope is to force the train to stop themselves the town's people come up with and attempt to carry out increasingly wild and amusing plans to make the train stop at Florence. It's an amusing tale but it's also heartwarming as you see the relationships develop between the townspeople.

Geraldine show more McCaughrean is a long established children's author who seems to have been unfairly overlooked if the quality of this book and the number of awards she has been nominated for (and won) are any guide. I would certainly like to read more of her books. show less

Charming book about the founding of a town in Oklahoma during the westward expansion. Snubbed by the railroad that passes through, they struggle to build their town and convince the rail baron to change his mind.

The audio book version, with a full cast, is a delight to listen to.

What a surprise and a delight this book was to read! Wonderful characters and some laugh out loud moments. A gem.

Set during the Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893, Cissy and her family travel by train to Florence, Oklahoma Territory to build a new life for themselves. Along with the other settlers of the town, the Cissy's family struggles to survive the hardships faced in this difficult setting. Because of a falling out between the owner of the railroad and his son, the town has an additional struggle to overcome with the train no longer stopping in Florence. The reader finds himself trying to think of ideas for getting the train to stop in Florence to help the town. The audiobook puts the reader into the era with the music of the era and the accents of the characters.

Loved the character Loucien Shades! Some very nice phrasings spinkled throughout.